Penryn CollegeHelston Community College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Penryn College and Helston Community College are secondary schools.
Penryn College scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Helston Community College scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Penryn College is ahead on our composite score.
Penryn College was judged Good and Helston Community College was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.8 for Penryn College and 43.9 for Helston Community College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Penryn College (46.5 in 2021-22, 46.8 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Helston Community College (44.5 in 2021-22, 43.9 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | PenrynPenryn College | HelstonHelston Community College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C59/100Stronger figure | D52/100 | |
| Local ranking | 9th of 31 in Cornwall Stronger figure | 20th of 31 in Cornwall | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 0-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,140 | 1,297 | |
| Capacity | 1,050 | 1,712 | |
| Location | Penryn, TR10 8PZ | Helston, TR13 8NR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.8 Stronger figure | 43.9 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 48.7% Stronger figure | 40.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 65.7% Stronger figure | 64.1% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 236 | 209 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 60 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 33.2 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 37.0 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 25.0% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,153 | 1,326 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 19.5% | 20.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 1.7% | 1.4% | |
| SEN support | 15.7% | 17.0% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.8% | 3.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 10.5% | 9.0% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 28.3% | 25.6% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Penryn College
Helston Community College
Full profiles: Penryn College · Helston Community College