Heamoor Community Primary School, Penzance

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades Heamoor Community Primary School on 7 areas: 1 expected standard and 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a broad personal development and wellbeing offer."

Achievement - Needs attention. "There is too much variability in how well pupils learn the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "The attendance of some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is too low."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of how well the curriculum is taught is too variable."

Early years - Needs attention. "Children in the early years do not consistently learn the curriculum as well as they should."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "The school has clear systems in place to identify barriers to learning that pupils may face."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders, including governors, have a broad understanding of the school's strengths and areas that require further improvement."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders, including governors, should strengthen how they monitor and evaluate the impact of improvement work to secure more rapid and sustained improvement"; "Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and check rigorously that support enables these pupils to learn the curriculum well"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching reflects high expectations so that learning tasks consistently match the ambition of the curriculum and help pupils build knowledge securely"; "Leaders should further develop the writing curriculum so that all pupils, including children in the early years, learn to write accurately and fluently"; "Leaders should improve attendance and punctuality so that fewer pupils are persistently absent, particularly those who are disadvantaged or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders should ensure that staff in the early years use effective interactions and modelling consistently so that children develop the knowledge and skills needed for key stage 1".

In its own words: "Heamoor Primary School is a maintained Primary School in Heamoor on the outskirst of Penzance with 201 pupils. We are very proud of our school and we would love to show you around."

From the headteacher's welcome: "At Heamoor our aim is simple - to inspire brilliance through example and encouragement and help our children to succeed through the nurturing of essential learning behaviours. We also believe that educating the heart is just as important as educating the mind and that character is just as important as calibre."

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Heamoor Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 72% in reading and 72% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 31 families put Heamoor Community Primary School as their first choice and 63 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Heamoor Community Primary School are Pensans Community Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 58% reading, 67% maths); Madron Daniel CofE (VA) School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 43% reading, 43% maths); Madron Daniel Church of England School (0.6 miles); and Alverton Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 84% reading, 81% maths).

Heamoor Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.

Heamoor Community Primary School is one of 5 schools run by The Penwith Education Trust (PET), an academy trust.

1.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 18 pupils (9%) received SEN support and 11 (5.5%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Penzance Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heamoor C P School (n-bound), 90 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 87 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Heamoor Community Primary School issued 14 suspensions, 7.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Heamoor Community Primary School are Mounts Bay Academy (0.3 miles) and Humphry Davy School (0.8 miles).