School Chooser

Upton Cross Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy113 pupilsNurseryLiskeardCornwall
School Chooser Score
70
Above
similar schools
Likely range 31 to 91, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 94% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1175%England 63%
Attendance97.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families23%A bit fewer than most schools
PlacesFull113 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher17.7School workforce census
Pupils on roll113Census January 2026

Upton Cross Academy is a converter academy in Liskeard for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 113 pupils, 8 more than it has places for. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 70 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it.

Upton Cross, Liskeard, PL14 5AX01579 362519uptoncross.kernowlearning.co.ukMiss Emily Goodey executive principalAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

8 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1175%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 73%73%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 69%69%20192023: 53%53%20232024: 69%69%20242025: 75%75%2025
Since 2017: +2%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†CornwallEngland
Pupils tested81617131211
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths75%69%53%69%67%73%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%13%0%0%8%0%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0109.0104.0106.0107.0103.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0106.0102.0105.0105.0103.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0105.0103.0103.0104.0104.0103.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard88%88%76%85%92%73%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%81%71%77%100%82%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%75%53%77%75%73%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.5+0.2+6.4+0.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.4-0.9+5.3+1.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged70%83%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Upton Cross Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places96 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 9 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same 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.

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 roll113Census January 2026
Places105108% full
Pupils from low-income families21%23% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%19 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size14.77 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)22%£35,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls53 / 60
White British pupils91%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 13.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 15.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (7), language and communications needs (7), Other difficulty or disability (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1131019395100101
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals21%17%19%20%19%18%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%17%19%16%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school3.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.0%4.9%5.3%7.1%4.0%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%4.0%4.5%6.3%3.7%3.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.9%0.8%0.8%0.4%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence3.4%11.6%15.1%20.5%13.5%11.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers6.2full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher17.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,952
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.32024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,537England £7,128. Total £716k
Income per pupil£7,874England £7,587. Total £748k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,084England £3,405
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £39k, £414 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£32kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,537spent 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 m2012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate34 per 1,000 people63% lower than the England average
Typical house price£289,950Cornwall
Nearest bus stop30 mSchool, 5 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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Pensilva Primary SchoolCouncil1.5 miles101Report card 202612Compare
Darite Primary AcademyAcademy2.2 miles35Good 201915Compare
St Cleer Primary AcademyAcademy3.0 miles242Good 202458Compare
Coads Green Primary SchoolAcademy3.1 miles29Good 202242Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Upton Cross Academy 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.

Beats94%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 70 is 31 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 39 · highest 89100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 70 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 70% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 31 to 91. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 years25%in line
-0.03
2024 and 2023 results; 16 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.11
DfE progress measure; 16 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.16
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.15
2024/25; 88 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.07
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 16 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 Upton Cross Academy a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Upton Cross Academy scores 70 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 94% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 31 to 91, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

How good are Upton Cross Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 75% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Upton Cross Academy have?

113 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 108% full.

Is Upton Cross Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 9 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Upton Cross Academy?

Pupils were in school 97.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 3% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Upton Cross Academy?

The average class had 14.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Upton Cross, Liskeard, PL14 5AX
Telephone
01579 362519
Website
www.uptoncross.kernowlearning.co.uk
Executive Principal
Miss Emily Goodey
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust (21 schools)
Local authority
Cornwall
Ward
Lynher
Constituency
South East Cornwall
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2017 (academy converter)
URN
144523 · LAESTAB 9082708 · UKPRN 10063716
Formerly
Upton Cross Primary School

Where these figures come from