Penponds School, Camborne
Penponds School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Camborne, part of The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 10 schools in Camborne with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- 1.5 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Penponds School in detail
Penponds School in its own words
In its own words: "In our school we encourage our children to aim high and achieve their best in everything they do. As a Rights Respecting School, we focus on teaching children about the rights of the child as detailed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Penponds School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% 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 Penponds School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Penponds School as their first choice and 49 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Penponds School are Trevithick Learning Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 75% maths); St Meriadoc CofE Junior Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 74% maths); St Meriadoc CofE Infant Academy (0.8 miles, Good); and St John's Catholic Primary School, Camborne (1 mile, Good, 96% reading, 100% maths).
Penponds School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Trevithick Learning AcademySt Meriadoc CofE Junior AcademySt Meriadoc CofE Infant AcademySt John's Catholic Primary School, Camborne
The trust
Penponds School is one of 13 schools run by The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
3.8% 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Camborne Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Penponds Turn (sw-bound), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 68 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Penponds School issued 3 suspensions, 2.9 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; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
3.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 87% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 73% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.0
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Penponds School
Term dates
Penponds 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 Penponds School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Penponds 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 Penponds School
Will you get a place at Penponds School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Penponds School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Penponds School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Penponds School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Penponds School for 2015 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
99%
Near capacity
104 pupils
105 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Camborne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Camborne
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: 1.5 first choices per place
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
20
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
24.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
104
Total Pupils
59
Boys
45
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,933
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,821
Per pupil
£642k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.6%
Overall absence
5.6%
Persistent absence
90
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Penponds School
Questions parents ask about Penponds School
What are SATs results like at Penponds School?
Of the pupils at Penponds School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is Penponds School's Ofsted rating?
Penponds School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2011 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Penponds School?
No fixed boundary. When Penponds 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 Penponds School?
Penponds School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Penponds School?
Classes at Penponds School average 26 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Penponds School?
Penponds School has around 104 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Penponds School?
3.6% of sessions were missed at Penponds School in 2024/25. 5.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Penponds School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Penponds 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 Penponds 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 Penponds School?
Penponds School is at Higher Penponds, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 0QN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)