Gulval School, Penzance
Gulval School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Penzance, part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 18 schools in Penzance with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 105% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Gulval School in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Gulval School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Gulval School
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put Gulval School as their first choice and 78 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gulval School are St Mary's Catholic School, Penzance (0.7 miles, Good, 67% reading, 71% maths); Pensans Community Primary School (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, 58% reading, 67% maths); St Mary's CofE Primary School, Penzance (1.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 47% maths); and Heamoor Community Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths).
Gulval School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St Mary's Catholic School, PenzancePensans Community Primary SchoolSt Mary's CofE Primary School, PenzanceHeamoor Community Primary School
The trust
Gulval School is one of 41 schools run by Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
16.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (93%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 23 pupils (10.3%) received SEN support and 11 (4.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Penzance Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gulval School (w-bound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour 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
In 2024/25, Gulval School issued 9 suspensions, 4.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Gulval School are Humphry Davy School (0.9 miles) and Mounts Bay Academy (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2017 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
16.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 88% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.2
Avg class size
24.5
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
6
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Gulval School
Term dates
Gulval School 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Gulval School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gulval 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
- 1
- 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, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Gulval School
Will you get a place at Gulval School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gulval School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gulval School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gulval School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Gulval School 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
105%
Over capacity
189 pupils
180 places
9 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Penzance
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Penzance
Across Cornwall council
Places available
6,475
Applications
4,732
Got 1st preference
95.9%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Cornwall council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
15.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
223
Total Pupils
119
Boys
104
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,155
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,308
Per pupil
£1129k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
10.1%
Persistent absence
169
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Gulval School
Questions parents ask about Gulval School
What are SATs results like at Gulval School?
Of the pupils at Gulval School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Gulval School's Ofsted rating?
Gulval School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Gulval School?
No fixed boundary. When Gulval School is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Gulval School?
Gulval School was full in 2025, at 105% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Gulval School?
Classes at Gulval School average 29.2 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Gulval School?
Gulval School has around 223 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Gulval School?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Gulval School in 2024/25. 10.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Gulval School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Gulval School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Gulval 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, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Gulval School?
Gulval School is at School Lane, Gulval, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 3BJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)