Curnow School, Redruth
Curnow School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Redruth, part of Special Partnership Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Curnow School in detail
Curnow School in its own words
In its own words: "May I offer all visitors a warm welcome to Curnow School's web-site. This web-site has been designed to give you a glimpse into the life of our school and show how hard our highly skilled staff team and pupils work to underpin our school mission statement. I am incredibly proud of our schools and the achievements made every day."
From the headteacher's welcome: "We make up the primary phase of Curnow Lower School and we are situated in Illogan, co-located with Illogan Primary School."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Curnow School are Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change (under 0.1 miles); Cardrew Court School (0.6 miles, Good, selective); Three Bridges (3.3 miles, selective); and Oak Tree School (4.8 miles).
Cornwall Neighbourhoods for ChangeCardrew Court SchoolThree BridgesOak Tree School
The trust
Curnow School is one of 10 schools run by Special Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
22 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Curnow School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school and 96% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (96%); the weakest, that their child feels safe (91%).
Who goes there
47.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Curnow School has an education, health and care plan (115 of 115 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Curnow School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Redruth Rail Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Strawberry Lane (ne-bound), 300 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 142 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Curnow School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Curnow School is a truly special place where every child feels valued and cared for. Staff skilfully support all pupils, including those with the most complex needs, through a carefully designed curriculum that focuses on communication, personal development, and preparing them for life after school. Parents consistently praise the school's nurturing approach, excellent communication, and the hugely positive impact it has on their child's wellbeing and learning.
Key Strengths
- Excellent pastoral care and relationships - pupils feel safe, secure and genuinely cared for by staff
- Carefully tailored curriculum with multiple pathways designed to meet individual pupil needs
- Strong focus on essential life skills including communication, personal development, and understanding consent
- Comprehensive post-16 provision with four different pathways to support pupils' interests and future aspirations
- Excellent partnership with parents through regular communication and involvement in curriculum development
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment systems need updating to align with the improved curriculum - some staff currently spend too much time on unnecessary assessments instead of letting pupils practise key skills
- Assessment system updates are in early stages of development and need to be prioritised
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Curnow School is a special school that has successfully maintained its outstanding standards. The school provides an exceptional, nurturing environment where pupils with a wide range of complex needs are happy, secure, and well-prepared for their future.
At a Glance
47.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
22 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Latest from Curnow School
The Jubilee Challenge!
19 May 2026
Rocksteady visit Upper School.
4 Feb 2026
National Year of Reading at Curnow!
3 Feb 2026
Urgent message re SEND transport
23 May 2025
Curnow display at The Tate, St Ives!
26 Feb 2025
Post 16 students get creative with film!
30 Jan 2025
From Curnow School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Curnow School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Curnow School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Curnow School is in Cornwall; for families living there:
- Cornwall's school travel policy: Home to School Travel Assistance Policy 2026/27
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
124%
Over capacity
115 pupils
93 places
22 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Redruth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Redruth
Across Cornwall council
Places available
6,387
Applications
5,542
Got 1st preference
97.4%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All secondary applications across Cornwall council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
115
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Curnow School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
115
Total Pupils
76
Boys
39
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
6.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,419
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.0%
Overall absence
34.1%
Persistent absence
88
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Curnow School
What are SATs results like at Curnow School?
Of the pupils at Curnow School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Curnow School's Ofsted rating?
Curnow School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Curnow School?
No fixed boundary. When Curnow School is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Curnow School?
Curnow School has around 115 pupils on roll. 48% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Curnow School have specialist SEN provision?
Curnow School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Curnow School?
12% of sessions were missed at Curnow School in 2024/25. 34.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Curnow School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Curnow School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Curnow School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Curnow School?
Curnow School is at Drump Road, Redruth, TR15 1LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)