Polwhele House School, Truro
Polwhele House School is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 17 in Truro. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in March 2026.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Polwhele House School in detail
Polwhele House School in its own words
In its own words: "Polwhele House comprises a Nursery, Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior School located in 30 acres of countryside in Truro, Cornwall. We believe the most effective and valuable education is one that enables children to enjoy their childhood whilst benefiting from an extensive range of opportunities both in and out of the classroom."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include netball, dance and gardening.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Polwhele House School are Truro School (1.7 miles, selective); Truro High School (2.2 miles); and Truro School Preparatory School (2.5 miles).
Truro SchoolTruro High SchoolTruro School Preparatory School
Who goes there
In 2026, 39 pupils (35.8%) received SEN support and 2 (1.8%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Truro Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, other theft and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Non-Routine Inspection
2 March 2026
Non-Routine Inspection
23 June 2025
Routine Inspection
21 January 2025
Regulatory Compliance
12 January 2022
Short Visit
22 April 2021
Short Visit
11 March 2020
Short Visit
20 June 2019
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
30 October 2018
Intermediate (Boarding)
6 October 2015
Integrated
25 September 2012
About
Polwhele House School is a co-educational, independent school located at Polwhele House, near Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Fees for 2026/27
Day fees, per year
£12,825 to £20,625
depending on year group
| Reception | £12,825 a year |
| Years 1 - 2 | £13,515 a year |
| Years 3 - 4 | £17,985 a year |
| Years 5 - 6 | £18,990 a year |
| Years 7 - 8 | £20,580 a year |
| Years 9 - 11 | £20,625 a year |
Including VAT. From the school's own fee schedule; check with the school before you rely on it.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby all-through schools
Keep up with Polwhele House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
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.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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
53%
Available places
109 pupils
205 places
96 spare places
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
39
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
37.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
109
Total Pupils
48
Boys
61
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Polwhele House School
When was Polwhele House School last inspected?
Polwhele House School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in March 2026.
How many pupils go to Polwhele House School?
Polwhele House School has around 109 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Polwhele House School?
Polwhele House School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Polwhele House 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. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Polwhele House School?
Polwhele House School is at Polwhele, Truro, TR4 9AE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)