Pencalenick School, Truro
Pencalenick School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 16 in Truro, part of Special Partnership Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Pencalenick School in detail
The trust
Pencalenick School is one of 10 schools run by Special Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
41 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Pencalenick School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 77% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (77%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 32 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 78% to a further education college.
Who goes there
58% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Pencalenick School has an education, health and care plan (200 of 200 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Pencalenick School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 177 places, 199 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Truro Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is River View (opposite), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Pencalenick School issued 10 suspensions, 5 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Pencalenick School creates a warm, nurturing environment where pupils feel safe, respected and valued. Staff know pupils exceptionally well and work hard to support their emotional wellbeing and confidence. The school offers exciting opportunities to challenge pupils and prepare them for adult life, with post-16 destinations well-matched to each pupil's future goals.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a calm, safe learning environment where pupils feel valued and confident
- Excellent reading programme that helps all pupils become fluent and confident readers
- Well-designed personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum woven through daily learning
- Rich range of extracurricular experiences including orchestra, sailing, and volunteering opportunities
- Effective support for pupils' emotional wellbeing and behaviour management
Areas for Improvement
- Academic curriculum lacks clear structure and doesn't identify the important knowledge pupils should learn
- Staff are unclear about expectations for what pupils should achieve in lessons
- Assessment information gathered about pupils is not being used effectively to improve teaching and learning
- Progress tracking systems are not closely linked to individual subjects
- Academic outcomes are not as strong as the school's social and emotional provision
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff and pupils showing clear understanding of how to keep pupils safe and protected.
Extracurricular Activities
Orchestra, sailing, Jubilee Challenge, volunteering roles
Pencalenick School is a special school for pupils aged 3-16 with a wide range of needs. While the school excels at supporting pupils' social and emotional development in a nurturing environment, the quality of academic education requires improvement.
At a Glance
58.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
41 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from Pencalenick School
Let's Talk
8 Sep 2026
Sensory Trust project at Pencalenick
11 Jun 2026
Pencalenick Summer Fair!
4 Jun 2026
Take a Peek at Our School Advent Calendar! 🎄✨
3 Dec 2025
Kehelland's Events Calendar
29 Apr 2025
From Pencalenick School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Pencalenick School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pencalenick School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pencalenick 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
0 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
200 pupils
199 places
1 pupil over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
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.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
200
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pencalenick School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 177 places, 199 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
200
Total Pupils
133
Boys
67
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
9.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,985
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.9%
Overall absence
32.6%
Persistent absence
181
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
Pencalenick School
Questions parents ask about Pencalenick School
What are GCSE results like at Pencalenick School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Pencalenick School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Pencalenick School's Ofsted rating?
Pencalenick School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Pencalenick School?
No fixed boundary. When Pencalenick School is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Pencalenick School?
Pencalenick School has around 200 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Pencalenick School have specialist SEN provision?
Pencalenick School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 177 places, 199 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Pencalenick School?
11.9% of sessions were missed at Pencalenick School in 2024/25. 32.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pencalenick School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Pencalenick School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Pencalenick School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 0 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 Pencalenick School?
Pencalenick School is at St Clement, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)