Cornwall schools in numbers
How Cornwall's 296 schools compare with South West and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools296open, all types
Pupils73,481on roll
Primary schools236
Secondary schools31
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Cornwall | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 280 schools | 22.4% | 21.8% | 26.3% | 47thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 278 schools | 22.3% | 21.8% | 27.1% | 40thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 280 schools | 3.2% | 9.6% | 18.6% | 150thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 284 schools | 16.6% | 15.1% | 14.5% | 18thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 284 schools | 6.9% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 150thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Cornwall | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 253 schools | 23.8 | 24.5 | 25.0 | 22ndof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 253 schools | 11.4% | 11.8% | 10.6% | 101stof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 279 schools | 19.3 | 18.9 | 19.0 | 92ndof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 277 schools | 16.6% | 16.5% | 15.0% | 116thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 279 schools | £48,872 | £49,716 | £51,377 | 147thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 240 schools | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 101stof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Cornwall | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 269 schools | 94.1% | 93.8% | 93.8% | 31stof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 269 schools | 14.1% | 15.1% | 15.8% | 25thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 269 schools | 7.9 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 99thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Cornwall | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 277 schools | £8,202 | £8,849 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 277 schools | £3,966 | £4,118 | £4,229 | 107thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 280 schools | 8.1% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 74thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 280 schools | 8.6% | 13.5% | 14.1% | 36thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Cornwall | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 31 schools | 42.0% | 46.5% | 46.1% | 104thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 31 schools | 44.8 | 46.9 | 47.0 | 102ndof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 209 schools | 60.3% | 60.7% | 63.1% | 118thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 209 schools | 7.9% | 7.6% | 8.3% | 77thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Cornwall | South West | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 247 schools | 14% | 13% | 13% | 52ndof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 166 schools | 93% | 91% | 94% | 109thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 261 schools | 26% | 29% | 35% | 121stof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 266 schools | 79.1% | 82.3% | 86.2% | 141stof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 290 schools | 80% | 66% | 52% | 18thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 290 schools | 11.7% | 8.9% | 12.0% | 78thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
CornwallEngland
Since 2016: -1.5%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
CornwallEngland
Since 2019: +9.0%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
CornwallEngland
Since 2017: +1.9%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
CornwallEngland
Since 2016: +7.4%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
CornwallEngland
Since 2007: +6.4