School profile

Sir James Smith's School

Secondary · Academy converter · Camelford, PL32 9UJ

Good

Map showing Sir James Smith's School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,656 of 3,312

Worse than 80% of schools in England

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

Sir James Smith's School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 19 Apr 2016

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils588
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Marc Cooper
TrustWESTCOUNTRY SCHOOLS TRUST
Local authorityCornwall
Opened01 Oct 2018
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 146408.

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.39.9, worse than England, worse than Cornwall45.546.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.58.6%, worse than England, worse than Cornwall63.9%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.41.4%, worse than England, similar to Cornwall44.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.1%, worse than England, worse than Cornwall11.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths51.5%, worse than England, worse than Cornwall59%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 499--

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 pupils588
Girls290
Boys298
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.26.5%
First language not English1.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.696
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.15.5%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.107
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.22
Average class size26.7

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
94.2%
Other White
2.9%
African
1.2%
Other mixed
1%
Gypsy/Roma
0.2%
White and Black African
0.2%
Other Asian
0.2%
Chinese
0.2%
Irish
0%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0%

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 teacher17.9
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.8
Teachers (FTE)32.84
Teaching assistants (FTE)7.99
Support staff (FTE)29.99
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2533.5
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2529.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.8

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.94
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.132
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.91
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.91
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

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 absence11.1%, worse than England, worse than Cornwall9%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.33.5%, worse than England, worse than Cornwall25.5%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5.4%, worse than England, worse 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 rate74%
Pupils with one or more suspensions18.7%
Permanent exclusion rate0.5%
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.88.8%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.77.6%
Sixth form college44.9%
Further education31.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.8.4%
Apprenticeship5.6%
Employment5.6%
School sixth form0.9%

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 Sir James Smith's School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryCamelford Community Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Sir James Smith's School

What is Sir James Smith's School's Ofsted rating?

Sir James Smith's School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 19 Apr 2016.

How does Sir James Smith's School rank in England?

Sir James Smith's School ranks 2,656 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 80% of schools).

What are Sir James Smith's School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 41.4% of pupils at Sir James Smith's School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 39.9 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Sir James Smith's School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Sir James Smith's School made 94 offers from 132 applications (1.4 per offer), and 91 of 91 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Sir James Smith's School?

Sir James Smith's School has 588 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Sir James Smith's School?

Sir James Smith's School had 696 school places in 2024/25.

Does Sir James Smith's School have a sixth form?

No, Sir James Smith's School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Sir James Smith's School?

At Sir James Smith's School, the average class had 26.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.9 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Sir James Smith's School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Sir James Smith's School missed 11.1% of sessions (England 8%), and 33.5% 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.