Kennall Vale School, Truro
Kennall Vale School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Truro, part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 24 schools in Truro with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 109% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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 26 Oct 2026
Kennall Vale School in detail
Kennall Vale School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Kennall Vale, we believe in nurturing the whole child in a supportive and vibrant community. Our school is more than just a place of learning; it is a home away from home where every child is valued and encouraged to reach their full potential."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, athletics and running.
Coming up: an open day on Friday 6 November 2026 at 9.30am and an open day on Friday 13 November 2026 at 9.30am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Cornwall
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Kennall Vale School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (75% in reading, 81% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Kennall Vale School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Kennall Vale School as their first choice and 52 named it as one of their preferences, for 20 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Kennall Vale School are Perran-Ar-Worthal Community Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 85% reading, 78% maths); Stithians Community Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 67% reading, 63% maths); Cusgarne Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 84% reading, 79% maths); and Mabe Community Primary School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, 64% reading, 73% maths).
Kennall Vale School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Perran-Ar-Worthal Community Primary SchoolStithians Community Primary SchoolCusgarne Primary SchoolMabe Community Primary School
The trust
Kennall Vale School is one of 41 schools run by Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
73 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kennall Vale School (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 85% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (85%).
Who goes there
9.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Perranwell Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Road (opposite), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14).
Suspensions and exclusions
Kennall Vale School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2012, 14 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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Kennall Vale School creates a warm, caring environment where children thrive and feel valued. Teachers have high expectations and support all pupils well, including those with additional needs, to achieve across a broad curriculum. Your child will develop strong values, excellent behaviour and be well-prepared for life in modern Britain.
Key Strengths
- Well-planned curriculum across broad range of subjects with strong support for pupils with SEND to achieve well
- Excellent phonics teaching with well-trained staff ensuring all pupils, including early years children, keep up with high expectations
- Strong focus on pupils' personal development, behaviour and values - pupils are friendly, polite and behave very well
- High pupil attendance with effective support provided to families when needed
- Clear ambitious vision from leaders with good links across the trust supporting staff development
Areas for Improvement
- High expectations for writing quality are not applied consistently across all subjects - some pupils not reaching standards they are capable of in spelling accuracy and grammar precision
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Reading with Rhubarb, school council, community visits to local stroke club, fundraising for refugees in Europe
Kennall Vale School is a primary school where pupils enjoy coming to school and benefit from a caring environment with high expectations for achievement. The school has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection.
At a Glance
9.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
73 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)
Reading has improved from 75% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 81% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.2
Avg class size
23.0
Infant (KS1)
24.7
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Kennall Vale School
Term dates
Kennall Vale 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 Kennall Vale School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kennall Vale 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 Kennall Vale School
Will you get a place at Kennall Vale School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kennall Vale School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kennall Vale School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kennall Vale School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Kennall Vale School for 2017 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
109%
Over capacity
130 pupils
119 places
11 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Truro
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Truro
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
16.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
121
Total Pupils
62
Boys
59
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
15.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,784
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,812
Per pupil
£829k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
5.1%
Persistent absence
118
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Kennall Vale School
What are SATs results like at Kennall Vale School?
Of the pupils at Kennall Vale School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Kennall Vale School's Ofsted rating?
Kennall Vale School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kennall Vale School?
No fixed boundary. When Kennall Vale 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 Kennall Vale School?
Kennall Vale School was full in 2025, at 109% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Kennall Vale School?
Classes at Kennall Vale School average 24.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Kennall Vale School?
Kennall Vale School has around 121 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kennall Vale School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Kennall Vale School in 2024/25. 5.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kennall Vale School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Kennall Vale 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 Kennall Vale School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 Kennall Vale School?
Kennall Vale School is at Park Crescent, Ponsanooth, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 7HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)