School Chooser

Looe Community Academy

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedAcademy513 pupilsLooeCornwall
School Chooser Score
5
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 7
Out of 100. Better than 8% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNeeds attention teachingOfsted report card, February 2026
Strong pass in English and maths24%England 46%
Attendance86.6%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families28%About the same as most schools in England
Parents would recommend67%88 Parent View responses
Places97 spare513 pupils, 610 places

Looe Community Academy is a converter academy in Looe for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 513 pupils and room for 610. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 5 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in February 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Sunrising, East Looe, Looe, PL13 1NQ01503 262625looe.cornwall.sch.ukMr Paul Boyes headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 February 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Needs attention
Achievement
Needs attention
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Needs attention
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Needs attention
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Needs attention
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
23 October 2024UngradedSome aspects not as strong

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

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

Average GCSE score39.0
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths24%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths50%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.75In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind 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: 44.544.520182019: 46.246.220192022: 40.440.420222023: 41.241.220232024: 37.237.220242025: 39.039.02025
Since 2018: -5.5Declining overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018CornwallEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11111971028810286
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 839.037.241.240.446.244.544.846.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.75-0.38-0.76+0.22+0.26
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths24%26%25%34%40%41%42%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths50%51%57%59%70%60%63%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.333.173.603.524.253.863.854.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry21%21%37%43%54%43%28%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged30.426.330.937.141.532.9
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged42.441.444.242.148.247.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers23.025.226.924.729.2
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers44.160.451.356.758.8

Subjects

Results came out for 17 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.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (29% here, 56% across England), Computer Science (31% here, 56% across England), Mathematics (30% here, 53% across England), Spanish (31% here, 54% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science.

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

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics109 entries · 31st of 31 in Cornwall
30%England 53%
English Language109 entries · 30th of 31 in Cornwall
37%England 54%
English Literature107 entries · 31st of 31 in Cornwall
41%England 58%
Combined Science101 entries · 21st of 31 in Cornwall
27%England 36%
Art and Design63 entries · 16th of 29 in Cornwall
59%England 58%
History60 entries · 10th of 31 in Cornwall
50%England 52%
Geography55 entries · 31st of 31 in Cornwall
33%England 51%
Social Studies26 entries · 5th of 6 in Cornwall
46%England 54%
Computer Science26 entries · 11th of 12 in Cornwall
31%England 56%
Physical Education21 entries · 8th of 8 in Cornwall
29%England 56%
Spanish16 entries
31%England 54%
7%England 50%
French11 entries
82%England 60%
20%England 60%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics1096%30%56%53%2,952 of 3,211
English Language10911%37%56%54%2,742 of 3,210
English Literature1079%41%65%58%2,641 of 3,202
Combined Science1011%27%42%36%2,137 of 3,084
Art and Design6321%59%83%58%1,413 of 2,818
History6022%50%58%52%1,598 of 3,126
Geography552%33%53%51%2,506 of 3,116
Social Studies2612%46%58%54%679 of 1,043
Computer Science264%31%46%56%1,567 of 1,861
Physical Education215%29%38%56%1,355 of 1,559
Spanish160%31%63%54%
Design & Technology140%7%36%50%
French1127%82%82%60%
Religious Studies100%20%50%60%
Physics70%29%71%82%
Chemistry70%14%71%81%
Biology70%43%86%82%

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.

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. Every gap at this school 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
30.442.4
Gap 12.0England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
9%30%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
38.739.2
Gap 0.5England 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 places523 pupils for 662 places, 2024/25
79% full

139 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22.

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.

What parents say

Would recommend the school67%England 77%
My child is happy here64%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe70%
Positive overall56%
My child is happy at this school
64%England 75%
My child feels safe at this school
70%England 79%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
40%England 71%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
35% yesEngland 26%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
42%England 48%
My child gets the right support to learn well
50%England 71%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
32% yesEngland 31%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
39%England 58%
The school communicates well with me
45%England 71%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
55%England 58%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
56%England 67%
I would recommend this school
67%England 77%
Overall view of the school is positive
56%England 67%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 88 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll513Census January 2026
Places61084% full
Pupils from low-income families28%28% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%70 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%19 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.620 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)27%£148,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls261 / 252
White British pupils94%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (37), language and communications needs (19), Moderate learning difficulty (18), Specific learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Other difficulty or disability (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll513524537513491512
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%27%25%21%21%19%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%0%1%0%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%18%15%19%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 86.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance86.6%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school44.2%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils81.92024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission6.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence13.4%13.6%12.8%12.6%6.4%6.5%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence6.9%8.6%8.4%9.0%4.6%4.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence6.5%5.1%4.4%3.5%1.8%1.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence44.2%45.9%48.8%44.5%17.6%17.8%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate81.933.529.67.511.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions15200

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 102 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training94%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 91%, compared with 95% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training94%90%94%96%
Education82%77%81%88%
Apprenticeship5%5%8%4%
Work7%8%6%5%
Not in education, work or training5%10%4%2%

Staff and money

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

Teachers29.5full-time equivalent, 33 people
Pupils per teacher17.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,664
Teachers who left in the year21%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.22024/25

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£7,630England £7,965. Total £4.0m
Income per pupil£7,969England £8,423. Total £4.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,160England £4,444
Money in reserve-3%In the red: -£107k, -£204 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£178kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,630spent 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 m8412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate51 per 1,000 people44% lower than the England average
Typical house price£289,950Cornwall
Nearest bus stop100 mLooe Community Academy, 10 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

No other schools of this phase within 8 km.

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Looe Community Academy with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats8%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 5 is 28 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 32 · highest 77100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 5 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 5% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 7. 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%below
-0.16
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 111 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.41
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.23
DfE progress measure; 111 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.11
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.20
2024/25; 557 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 111 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.02
102 pupils
What parents say5%below
-0.03
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 88 responses

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 Looe Community Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Looe Community Academy scores 5 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 8% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 7, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Looe Community Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 February 2026 it rated teaching as needs attention, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as needs attention.

How good are Looe Community Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 24% 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 39.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Looe Community Academy have?

513 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 610 places, so it is 84% full.

Is Looe Community Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 139 places were empty in 2024/25 (21% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Looe Community Academy?

Pupils were in school 86.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 44% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Looe Community Academy?

67% of the 88 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 64% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Looe Community Academy?

The average class had 25.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 25% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Looe Community Academy have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 94% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

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

Contact and details

Address
Sunrising, East Looe, Looe, PL13 1NQ
Telephone
01503 262625
Website
www.looe.cornwall.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Paul Boyes
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
South East Cornwall Multi Academy Regional Trust (6 schools)
Local authority
Cornwall
Ward
Looe East & Deviock
Constituency
South East Cornwall
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2012 (academy converter)
URN
137839 · LAESTAB 9084168 · UKPRN 10036416
Formerly
Looe Community School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from