Looe Community Academy, Looe

Ofsted's report card from its 10 February 2026 inspection grades Looe Community Academy on 6 areas: 1 expected standard and 5 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. "The school provides a coherent and well‑structured programme that promotes pupils' wider development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "A significant minority of pupils continue to have gaps in their knowledge which limits the progress they make."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders' work to improve pupils' attendance has not yet had the intended impact."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders' work to improve the curriculum and the quality of teaching is not yet consistent or embedded."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "The systems that leaders have in place to identify and support pupils' needs are not yet fully effective."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders' ambitious vision has not yet translated into the consistent, day‑to‑day improvements that pupils need."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should embed their curriculum and teaching expectations consistently across the school so that all staff implement agreed approaches to literacy, assessment and the teaching of the curriculum with fidelity"; "Leaders should strengthen staff expertise to better adapt teaching for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to ensure that adjustments are well matched to pupils' needs and support them to follow the curriculum successfully"; "Leaders should improve the consistency and quality of teaching so that gaps in pupils' knowledge are accurately identified and addressed, enabling pupils to build secure foundations for future learning"; "Leaders should ensure that early reading remains a sustained priority and that all staff have the knowledge and confidence to deliver the school's chosen approach effectively"; "Leaders should improve the attendance of all pupils, particularly pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, so that they are regularly present at school and able to benefit from the full curriculum".

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to you on behalf of the entire school community. My name is Paul Boyes, and it is a privilege and honour to be the Headteacher of Looe Community Academy."

In 2026, pupils at Looe Community Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.7 in Cornwall and 47 across England.

24% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Cornwall and 47% in England.

That is up from 39 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.75: pupils made well 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 34.4, against 43.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 106 families put Looe Community Academy as their first choice and 183 named it as one of their preferences, for 107 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Looe Community Academy is one of 6 schools run by South East Cornwall Multi Academy Regional Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42 in 2024/25.

88 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Looe Community Academy (as of April 2026): 67% would recommend the school, 64% say their child is happy there and 52% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (71%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (40%).

Of the 97 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 44% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

0.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Looe Rail Station, about 750 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Looe Community Academy (ne-bound), 100 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 45 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, Looe Community Academy issued 429 suspensions, 81.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.