School profile

Penair School

Secondary · Academy converter · Truro, TR1 1TN

Good

Map showing Penair School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,066 of 3,312

Better than 67% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Penair School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 19 Apr 2017

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,223
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherHeadteacher James Davidson
TrustPENAIR SCHOOL
Local authorityCornwall
Opened01 Apr 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136567.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolCornwallEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.49.4, better than England, better than Cornwall45.546.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.71.4%, better than England, better than Cornwall63.9%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.50.7%, better than England, better than Cornwall44.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.11.9%, worse than England, similar to Cornwall11.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths66.5%, better than England, better than Cornwall59%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4227--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,223
Girls615
Boys608
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.20%
First language not English6.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,457
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.16.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.243
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.23
Average class size25.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
81%
Other White
6.3%
African
2.9%
Other mixed
2.5%
White and Asian
1.6%
Other Asian
1.5%
Indian
1%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%
Other ethnic group
0.6%
Bangladeshi
0.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12
Teachers (FTE)74.61
Teaching assistants (FTE)15.12
Support staff (FTE)42.77
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2577
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2568.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/257.4

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.236
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.437
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.222
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.222
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolCornwallEngland
Overall absence7.6%, similar to England, better than Cornwall9%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.20.8%, similar to England, better than Cornwall25.5%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3%, better than England, better than Cornwall4.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate40%
Pupils with one or more suspensions9.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.87.3%
Further education84.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.4%
Apprenticeship3.9%
School sixth form1.5%
Employment1.5%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Penair School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryTregolls AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
0.7 miNot applicableTruro SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.7 miPrimaryArchbishop Benson CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimarySt Mary's CofE School, TruroVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.2 miNurseryTruro Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
1.3 miNot applicablePolwhele House SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
1.3 miPrimaryBosvigo SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.3 miNot applicableTruro High SchoolOther independent school
Unrated

Frequently asked questions about Penair School

What is Penair School's Ofsted rating?

Penair School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 19 Apr 2017.

How does Penair School rank in England?

Penair School ranks 1,066 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 67% of schools).

What are Penair School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 50.7% of pupils at Penair School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 49.4 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Penair School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Penair School made 236 offers from 437 applications (1.9 per offer), and 222 of 222 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Penair School?

Penair School has 1,223 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Penair School?

Penair School had 1,457 school places in 2024/25.

Does Penair School have a sixth form?

No, Penair School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Penair School?

At Penair School, the average class had 25.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Penair School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Penair School missed 7.6% of sessions (England 8%), and 20.8% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.