Fowey River Academy, Fowey
Fowey River Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Fowey, part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 30th-highest of the 31 schools in Cornwall with published results, and 3,113th of 3,298 across England. It was 67% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Fowey River Academy in detail
Fowey River Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Today, learning at FRA happens everywhere and our students explore and grow in our incredible natural environment. The Fowey River basin culminating in the stunning estuary, is the incredible setting of our academy. The grounds boast unparalleled views of the river and sea beyond, and provide countless opportunities for exploration and enjoyment."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Fowey River Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.7 in Cornwall and 47 across England.
21% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Cornwall and 47% in England.
That is down from 39.7 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.22: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 23.2, against 38.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.
Getting a place at Fowey River Academy
For September 2026 entry, 101 families put Fowey River Academy as their first choice and 170 named it as one of their preferences, for 105 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
The trust
Fowey River Academy is one of 41 schools run by Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
84 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Fowey River Academy (as of September 2025): 81% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 52% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (52%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 102 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 45% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 7% into work.
Who goes there
2.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Par Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fowey School (e-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 27 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Fowey River Academy issued 304 suspensions, 46 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 7 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Fowey River Academy are Fowey Primary School (0.1 miles) and Polruan Primary Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Fowey River Academy is transforming into a school where your child will thrive academically and personally. Teachers are passionate about their subjects and the school provides excellent support for all learners, including those with additional needs. Your child will also benefit from strong pastoral care, a caring community, and plenty of opportunities to develop their talents through clubs and activities.
Key Strengths
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with clear progression of knowledge and skills over time
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND through 'The Compass' programme
- Strong pastoral care with a culture of inclusivity where pupils feel safe and trusted
- Effective work on attendance with significant reductions in pupil absence
- Wide range of enrichment activities including gig racing, paddle boarding, rugby and music
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent implementation of curriculum across subjects means some pupils develop gaps in knowledge
- Teaching strategies not applied consistently effectively, affecting some pupils' learning
- Inconsistent challenge of low engagement and behaviour means some pupils do not produce work to their capability
- Need to ensure high expectations for positive attitudes are upheld consistently across all school areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place and pupils feeling confident to report concerns to staff.
Extracurricular Activities
Gig racing, paddle boarding, rugby, music, author visits, 'I love my job' events with local employers, CV writing workshops, university trips
Fowey River Academy is ambitious for its pupils and has made significant improvements to its curriculum, resulting in rising examination outcomes. The school provides high-quality pastoral care and has raised expectations for pupil conduct.
About
Fowey River Academy is a co-educational secondary school with academy status, serving a large and diverse catchment area including Fowey, the nearby towns of St Blazey and Lostwithiel and surrounding villages.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
33.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
84 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.65 to -0.22 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 39.6 to 34.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 33% to 21% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 34.9 | 20.8% |
| Disadvantaged(32) | - | 23.2 | 3.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(93) | - | 38.9 | 26.9% |
| Boys(67) | - | 33.4 | 20.9% |
| Girls(58) | - | 36.6 | 20.7% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(117) | - | 35.4 | 21.4% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 102 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
7
Permanent exclusions
1.06%
Exclusion rate
304
Suspensions
45.99%
Suspension rate
94 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 661 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Keep up with Fowey River Academy
Term dates
Fowey River Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cornwall's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Fowey River Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Fowey River Academy 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 0 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
Your chances of a place at Fowey River Academy
Will you get a place at Fowey River Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Fowey River Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Fowey River Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Fowey River Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Fowey River Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cornwall got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
67%
Available places
667 pupils
1,000 places
333 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Fowey
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Fowey
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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
109
SEN Support
30
EHC Plans
20.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
676
Total Pupils
347
Boys
329
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,426
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,240
Per pupil
£5160k
Total funding
£219k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
27.7%
Persistent absence
704
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
Fowey River Academy
Questions parents ask about Fowey River Academy
What are GCSE results like at Fowey River Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Fowey River Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 34.9. 21% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Fowey River Academy's Ofsted rating?
Fowey River Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Fowey River Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Fowey River Academy is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Fowey River Academy?
Fowey River Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 67% of its 1000 places.
How big are the classes at Fowey River Academy?
Classes at Fowey River Academy average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Fowey River Academy?
Fowey River Academy has around 676 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Fowey River Academy?
8.8% of sessions were missed at Fowey River Academy in 2024/25. 27.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Fowey River Academy?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Fowey River Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Fowey River Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 0 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 Fowey River Academy?
Fowey River Academy is at Windmill, Fowey, Cornwall, PL23 1HE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)