Pensans Community Primary School
General Information
- Address: Madron Road, Penzance, TR20 8UH – View on map
- Phone: 01736363627
- Website: Visit school website
- Headteacher: Mrs Niki Ambrose
- Age range: 2-11 years
- Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 9 families put it first for 9 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 9 · 2024 9 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
- Sixth form: No
- Intake: Mixed
- Religious character: Does not apply
- Nursery provision: Yes
Who goes here
- Pupils eligible for free school meals: 69
- % eligible for free school meals: 57.0%
- Pupil mix: 3 in 10 (more mixed than the Cornwall average)
- English as an additional language: 11% (England 22%)
Staff
Teachers leaving each year
- Teacher turnover: 34.7% a year (Cornwall 17%, typical in England 13.9%)
- Where they went: about 19% moved to another school, 81% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
- Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)
Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.
Behaviour
Awaiting Data
Across Cornwall: suspensions by reason
- Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 8 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
- Suspensions for bullying: 9 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 1 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
- Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)
These are figures for all state primary schools in Cornwall, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.
Attendance
- Overall absence: 6.5%
- Persistently absent pupils: 20.4%
- Data year: 2024/25
SEN
- SEN unit for AutismSpeech, language and communication 20 places · 18 pupils at the last count
Places are usually for children with an EHC Plan and are arranged through the council, not the normal school application.
- Pupils on SEN Support: 31.7%
- Pupils with an EHC Plan: 16.5%
- Data year: 2025/26
Most common needs - SEN Support
- Speech, language and communications needs: 21 pupils
- Specific learning difficulty: 11 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 11 pupils
- Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Most common needs - EHC Plan
- Speech, language and communications needs: 16 pupils
- Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 3 pupils
These figures show the makeup of the school.
Educational Attainment
Requires improvement 2024 report
Year 6 SATs results
- Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 50% (England 62%)
- Reached the higher standard: 0% (England 8%)
- Compared with the area: 10 percentage points below the Cornwall average (60%)
- Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well below (3-year average 31% against an expected 46%)
- 3-year average (expected standard): 31%
- Expected standard by subject: Reading 58% · Writing 67% · Maths 67% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 67%
- Average test scores: reading 103, maths 100
- Based on: 12 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25
View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.
SATs results over time
Year 6 SATs: joint 157th of 209 junior and primary schools in the area
- =157Coads Green Primary School50%
- =157Pendeen School50%
- =157Pensans Community Primary School50%
- =157St Buryan Primary School50%
- =157St Kew Academy50%
Click to see the full ranking
View full Ofsted inspection report
164th of 166 primary schools in Cornwall for Ofsted rating
- #162Marhamchurch CofE AcademyRequires improvement
- #163Parc Eglos SchoolRequires improvement
- #164Pensans Community Primary SchoolRequires improvement
- #165St Keverne Primary SchoolRequires improvement
- #166Trekenner Community Primary SchoolRequires improvement
Click to see the full ranking
Financials
Spending per pupil: £12,275 (2024-25)
7th of 219 primary schools in Cornwall for spending per pupil
- #5St Mawes Primary School£12,480
- #6Trannack Primary School£12,396
- #7Pensans Community Primary School£12,275
- #8Grampound-With-Creed CofE Primary School£12,253
- #9Launceston Primary School£12,211
Click to see the full ranking
View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)