Nancledra School, Penzance
Nancledra School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Penzance, part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 18 schools in Penzance with published results, and 2,040th of 14,452 across England. It was 80% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- 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
Nancledra School in detail
Nancledra School in its own words
In its own words: "At Nancledra School, our mission is to provide a nurturing and inspiring environment where every child feels valued, supported and challenged to achieve their full potential. Together, we strive to create a school where learning is joyful, opportunities are equal and every child can flourish."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils at Nancledra School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 100% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Nancledra School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Nancledra School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 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 Nancledra School are St Uny CofE Academy (2.4 miles, Good, 53% reading, 47% maths); St Ives Junior School (2.4 miles, Requires improvement, 83% reading, 82% maths); St Ives Infant School (2.4 miles, Good); and Ludgvan School (2.6 miles, Good, 66% reading, 59% maths).
Nancledra School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St Uny CofE AcademySt Ives Junior SchoolSt Ives Infant SchoolLudgvan School
The trust
Nancledra School is one of 41 schools run by Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
46 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Nancledra School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (78%).
Who goes there
8.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 16 pupils (17%) received SEN support and 2 (2.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Nancledra School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Carbis Bay Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Nancledra School (nw-bound), 10 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, public order offences and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Nancledra School issued 3 suspensions, 3.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 June 2015, 11 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 December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Nancledra School excels at teaching your child to read with confidence and joy - pupils learn through high-quality books and texts right from Reception. The school has high expectations for all pupils including those with additional needs, and staff work hard to help them achieve well. Your child will be part of a friendly, orderly community where behaviour is positive and bullying is not tolerated.
Key Strengths
- Excellent reading programme with high-quality texts embedded throughout the curriculum - pupils leave school at or above expected levels
- Effective curriculum in English and mathematics with appropriate sequencing of learning
- Strong behaviour and positive relationships - pupils conduct themselves well and bullying is not an issue
- Improving attendance rates following new approaches to support families
- Wide range of accessible clubs and enrichment activities ensuring all pupils can participate
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching in some subjects like history, music and art is less secure as curriculum changes are newer
- Pupils' learning in these subjects sometimes slows due to staff having varying confidence levels
- More time needed to fully embed and develop the redesigned curriculum elements
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective with leaders creating a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, sporting events for all abilities, music lessons and individual music tuition with tutors, trips and visits to enrich learning
Nancledra School has successfully maintained its good standards following a period of staffing changes. The school is increasingly ambitious for its pupils and has made significant improvements to its curriculum, particularly in reading and mathematics.
At a Glance
8.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
46 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 declined from 100% to 92% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.7
Avg class size
17.5
Infant (KS1)
21.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Nancledra School
Term dates
Nancledra 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 Nancledra School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Nancledra 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Nancledra School
Will you get a place at Nancledra School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Nancledra School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Nancledra School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Nancledra School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Nancledra 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
80%
Available places
84 pupils
105 places
21 spare places 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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
19.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
94
Total Pupils
53
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
11.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,363
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,517
Per pupil
£637k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
16.7%
Persistent absence
78
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Nancledra School
What are SATs results like at Nancledra School?
Of the pupils at Nancledra School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 92% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is Nancledra School's Ofsted rating?
Nancledra School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Nancledra School?
No fixed boundary. When Nancledra 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 Nancledra School?
Nancledra School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Nancledra School?
Classes at Nancledra School average 18.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Nancledra School?
Nancledra School has around 94 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Nancledra School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Nancledra School in 2024/25. 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Nancledra School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Nancledra 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 Nancledra School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Nancledra School?
Nancledra School is at Nancledra, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8NB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)