Penair School, Truro
Penair School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Truro. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 31 schools in Cornwall with published results, and 1,062nd of 3,298 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Penair School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Penair School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.7 in Cornwall and 47 across England.
51% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 42% in Cornwall and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 49.1.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.05: pupils made about 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 38.8, against 51.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Art and Design, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at Penair School
For September 2026 entry, 222 families put Penair School as their first choice and 437 named it as one of their preferences, for 236 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Where pupils go next
Of the 205 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 85% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 243 pupils (19.9%) received SEN support and 23 (1.9%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Truro Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tinney Drive (nw-bound), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 127 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. 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, Penair School issued 496 suspensions, 40 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Penair School are Tregolls Academy (0.2 miles); Archbishop Benson CofE Primary School (0.7 miles); St Mary's CofE School, Truro (1.2 miles); and Bosvigo School (1.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Tregolls AcademyArchbishop Benson CofE Primary SchoolSt Mary's CofE School, TruroBosvigo School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from April 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 April 2017 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
About
Penair School is a secondary academy school in Truro, Cornwall, England, for children aged 11 to 16. It is named after Penair House, a mansion built in the late 18th century by Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
20.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.05 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 45.3 to 49.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 51% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 49.4 | 50.7% |
| Disadvantaged(34) | - | 38.8 | 32.4% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(193) | - | 51.3 | 53.9% |
| Boys(108) | - | 49.4 | 53.7% |
| Girls(119) | - | 49.4 | 47.9% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(16) | - | 47.8 | 37.5% |
| Non mobile(223) | - | 49.7 | 51.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 205 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.24%
Exclusion rate
496
Suspensions
40.03%
Suspension rate
115 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,239 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Penair School
Term dates
Penair 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 Penair School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Penair 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 Penair School
Will you get a place at Penair School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Penair School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Penair School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Penair School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Penair School for 2014 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
84%
Available places
1,225 pupils
1,457 places
232 spare places 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
6,387
Applications
5,542
Got 1st preference
97.4%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All secondary applications across Cornwall council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
243
SEN Support
23
EHC Plans
21.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,223
Total Pupils
608
Boys
615
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
83
Teachers
14.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,090
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,772
Per pupil
£8829k
Total funding
£257k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
22.1%
Persistent absence
1,273
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Penair School
What are GCSE results like at Penair School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Penair School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 49.4. 51% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Penair School's Ofsted rating?
Penair School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Penair School?
No fixed boundary. When Penair 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 Penair School?
Penair School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 1457 places.
How big are the classes at Penair School?
Classes at Penair School average 25.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Penair School?
Penair School has around 1223 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Penair School?
8.2% of sessions were missed at Penair School in 2024/25. 22.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Penair School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Penair School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Penair School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Penair School?
Penair School is at St Clement, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)