School Chooser

Falmouth School

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademy923 pupilsSixth formFalmouthCornwall
School Chooser Score
40
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 31 to 51
Out of 100. Better than 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, April 2025
Strong pass in English and maths47%England 46%
Attendance89.5%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families23%A bit fewer than most schools
Places421 spare923 pupils, 1,344 places
Pupils per teacher19.7School workforce census

Falmouth School is a converter academy in Falmouth for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 923 pupils and room for 1,344. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 40 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Trescobeas Road, Falmouth, TR11 4LH01326 372386falmouthschool.netMrs Joanne Guest headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 23 April 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

146 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score48.3
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths47%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths70%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.08In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 52.252.220182019: 48.348.320192022: 50.250.220222023: 42.742.720232024: 48.948.920242025: 48.348.32025
Since 2018: -3.9Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018CornwallEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11146169147192123148
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 848.348.942.750.248.352.244.846.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.08-0.41-0.30+0.25+0.34
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths47%52%41%49%40%54%42%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths70%67%62%68%63%73%63%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.224.393.654.274.004.383.854.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry25%28%20%29%28%36%28%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged28.930.034.040.037.144.2
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged53.053.446.353.753.153.9
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers28.324.232.426.128.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers65.058.867.262.462.6

Subjects

Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Spanish84%grades 9 to 5, England 54%
History66%grades 9 to 5, England 52% · 629th of 3,126 schools
French73%grades 9 to 5, England 60%
Art and Design71%grades 9 to 5, England 58% · 813th of 2,818 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physics (66% here, 82% across England), Biology (67% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (68% here, 81% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics145 entries · 6th of 31 in Cornwall
52%England 53%
English Literature145 entries · 9th of 31 in Cornwall
59%England 58%
English Language145 entries · 11th of 31 in Cornwall
55%England 54%
Combined Science99 entries · 16th of 31 in Cornwall
31%England 36%
History95 entries · 2nd of 31 in Cornwall
66%England 52%
Geography82 entries · 13th of 31 in Cornwall
51%England 51%
Biology45 entries · 17th of 26 in Cornwall
67%England 82%
Art and Design45 entries · 6th of 29 in Cornwall
71%England 58%
Chemistry44 entries · 12th of 25 in Cornwall
68%England 81%
Physics44 entries · 13th of 25 in Cornwall
66%England 82%
Spanish19 entries
84%England 54%
50%England 50%
French15 entries
73%England 60%
Film Studies15 entries
47%England 52%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics14523%52%74%53%1,471 of 3,211
English Literature14515%59%77%58%1,304 of 3,202
English Language14521%55%73%54%1,344 of 3,210
Combined Science995%31%57%36%1,765 of 3,084
History9539%66%78%52%629 of 3,126
Geography8222%51%63%51%1,328 of 3,116
Biology4540%67%78%82%2,070 of 2,570
Art and Design4527%71%82%58%813 of 2,818
Chemistry4441%68%82%81%1,990 of 2,537
Physics4439%66%80%82%2,075 of 2,546
Spanish1937%84%84%54%
Design & Technology166%50%63%50%
French1553%73%87%60%
Film Studies157%47%47%52%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

50 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeE8.8 points per entry
A level progress-0.25Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
Stayed and finished50%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students50656385177157
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry8.8231.6328.5637.6331.1530.25
Average A level gradeECCB-CC
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS34.1727.5838.3334.1032.38
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects19%9%27%14%19%
A level progressA level value added-0.25+0.14-0.06-0.04
Applied general courses: points per entry26.8528.9627.6735.35
T levels: points per entry34.55
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed50%80%96%100%88%85%

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
28.953.0
Gap 24.1England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
14%55%
Gap 41 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
48.148.4
Gap 0.3England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places884 pupils for 1,418 places, 2024/25
62% full

534 places were empty (38% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 12% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Cornwall council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll923Census January 2026
Places1,34469% full
Pupils from low-income families22%23% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%162 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%19 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.939 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils31%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)22%£206,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls475 / 448
White British pupils83%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (74), emotional and mental health (36), Autistic spectrum disorder (24), Moderate learning difficulty (15), Physical disability (8), language and communications needs (6).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll923893968945987992
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals22%22%22%20%18%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%4%3%3%2%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%14%14%13%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance89.5%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school28.6%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils48.32024/25, 5 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence10.5%13.6%13.4%12.2%4.6%5.5%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence7.0%6.8%6.1%6.8%2.7%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.4%6.9%7.4%5.4%1.9%2.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence28.6%35.4%37.4%39.1%12.5%12.3%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate48.387.846.730.63.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions58552

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 147 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training89%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 72%, compared with 96% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training89%93%93%94%
Education77%87%87%90%
Apprenticeship8%3%3%2%
Work4%3%4%1%
Not in education, work or training7%4%6%6%

After sixth form

Where the 60 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training70%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 46%, compared with 77% for everyone else.

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training43%England 72%
Top-third universities15%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship7%England 6%
Higher technical course1%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND

Among students from low-income families, 17% went on to degree-level study or training.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training70%82%76%
Education33%42%44%
Apprenticeship7%7%1%0%
Work30%32%31%
Not in education, work or training23%12%21%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers46.8full-time equivalent, 53 people
Pupils per teacher19.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,331
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.02024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,777England £7,965. Total £6.1m
Income per pupil£8,645England £8,423. Total £7.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,624England £4,444
Money in reserve29%A lot put by: £2.2m, £2,476 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£1.7mit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,777spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m15312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate43 per 1,000 people53% lower than the England average
Typical house price£289,950Cornwall
Nearest bus stop40 mFalmouth School Site, 23 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Penryn CollegeAcademy1.1 miles1,140Good 202252Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Falmouth School with the 46 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats42%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 40 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 50 · highest 92100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 40 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 40% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 31 to 51. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%in line
+0.00
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 146 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 1.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 146 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.07
2024/25; 882 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 146 pupils
What pupils do next5%in line
-0.02
147 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Falmouth School a good school?

It is about average. Falmouth School scores 40 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 31 to 51, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Falmouth School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Falmouth School not judged at its last full inspection on 23 April 2025.

How good are Falmouth School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 47% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 48.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Falmouth School have?

923 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,344 places, so it is 69% full.

Is Falmouth School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 534 places were empty in 2024/25 (38% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Falmouth School?

Pupils were in school 89.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Falmouth School?

The average class had 21.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 31% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Falmouth School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was E.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Trescobeas Road, Falmouth, TR11 4LH
Telephone
01326 372386
Website
www.falmouthschool.net
Headteacher
Mrs Joanne Guest
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
The Roseland Multi Academy Trust (5 schools)
Local authority
Cornwall
Ward
Falmouth Trescobeas & Budock
Constituency
Truro and Falmouth
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 August 2011 (academy converter)
URN
137223 · LAESTAB 9084152 · UKPRN 10034667
Formerly
Falmouth School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from