St Hilary School, Penzance
St Hilary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Penzance, part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 18 schools in Penzance with published results, and 7,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
St Hilary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at St Hilary School reached the expected standard in reading and 69% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 77% in reading and 58% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Hilary School
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put St Hilary School as their first choice and 43 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Hilary School are Marazion School (1.9 miles); Germoe Community Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 64% reading, 82% maths); St Erth Community Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 88% maths); and Ludgvan School (2.8 miles, Good, 66% reading, 59% maths).
St Hilary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Marazion SchoolGermoe Community Primary SchoolSt Erth Community Primary SchoolLudgvan School
The trust
St Hilary School is one of 41 schools run by Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
15% 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 St Erth Rail Station, about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chynoweth Lane (ne-bound), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Hilary School issued 6 suspensions, 3 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 school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
15.0%
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 improved from 77% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 58% to 69% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 60% to 66% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Hilary School
Term dates
St Hilary 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 St Hilary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Hilary 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 St Hilary School
Will you get a place at St Hilary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Hilary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Hilary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Hilary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Hilary 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
81%
Available places
199 pupils
245 places
46 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
19.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
206
Total Pupils
107
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
17.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,434
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,229
Per pupil
£1140k
Total funding
£39k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.7%
Overall absence
7.9%
Persistent absence
178
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Hilary School
What are SATs results like at St Hilary School?
Of the pupils at St Hilary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 69% did so in maths.
What is St Hilary School's Ofsted rating?
St Hilary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023.
What is the catchment area for St Hilary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Hilary 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 St Hilary School?
St Hilary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 245 places.
How many pupils go to St Hilary School?
St Hilary School has around 206 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Hilary School?
4.7% of sessions were missed at St Hilary School in 2024/25. 7.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Hilary School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming St Hilary 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 St Hilary 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 St Hilary School?
St Hilary School is at School Lane, St Hilary, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 9DR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)