Porthleven School

Academy converter·Primary school Helston, Cornwall·TR13 9BX
Composite score
50.3
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#7,148
National rank
#699
In South West
#91
In Cornwall
Top 48%
Nationally

Performance (KS2 SATs)

% meeting expected RWM
63%
% achieving higher RWM
8%
Reading average scaled score
106.0
National avg ≈ 105
Maths average scaled score
104.0
National avg ≈ 104
Reading progress
—
Maths progress
—

Ofsted judgements

New framework · Last inspection: 20/01/2026 · Read full report ↗

Achievement
Needs attention
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Inclusion
Expected standard
Safeguarding standards
Met
Early years
Expected standard

Getting a place

Offered a place after putting it first
100%
22 first choices, 22 places
First choices per place
1.00
fewer first choices than places
Applications naming the school
31
any preference, for 22 places
First preferences per place, last five years▶ 0.00
00.511.5
1 per place
1.0020220.9620231.0020241.0020251.002026

Red dashed line = one first choice per place. How to read this

Every child who put Porthleven School first was offered a place in 2026, so no distance cut-off applied: living further away did not cost a place that year.

Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).

School profile

Age range
3–11
Pupils on roll
192
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None

Pupil background

% FSM ever-6
21.0%
Typical primary: 21.5%
% EAL
2.1%
Typical primary: 9.6%

Special educational needs

% SEN support
9.9%
Typical primary: 14.3%
% with an EHC plan
2.6%
Typical primary: 3.0%

Attendance

Overall absence
4.0%
Typical primary: 5.3%
Persistently absent
7.5%
Typical primary: 13.3%

Staffing & funding

Pupils per teacher
21.3
Typical primary: 20.7
Spend per pupil
£6,558
Typical primary: £6,960

“Typical” = the median primary school in England. What this means

Nearby primary schools

Location

About Porthleven School

Porthleven School is a primary school in Helston, Cornwall, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. Around 192 pupils aged 3 to 11 attend the school. The school holds a 'Requires improvement' judgement from Ofsted (January 2026). In the most recent Key Stage 2 SATs, 63% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — broadly in line with the national average of 61%. That marks an improvement of 1.0 percentage points in the proportion reaching the expected standard on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it around the middle of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 106 in reading and 104 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 8% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). Porthleven School was not oversubscribed for September 2026: all 22 families who put it first were offered a place. Overall pupil absence was 4.0%. There are about 21.3 pupils per teacher. If you are considering Porthleven School, it may be worth asking how leaders have responded to Ofsted's findings and what has changed since the inspection. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.

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