Penrice Academy is a mainstream secondary school in St Austell, Cornwall, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. In January 2026, 203 of its 1,405 pupils (14.4%) were getting SEN support and 51 (3.6%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–16
- 1,405 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Cornwall.
14.4% get SEN support
203 of 1,405 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
3.6% have an EHC plan
51 of 1,405 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Autism64
- Moderate learning difficulty55
- Speech, language and communication46
- Social, emotional and mental health44
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia12
- Physical disability12
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,405 (places for 1,440)
- Headteacher
- Mr Richard Baker (Principal)
- Part of
- Cornwall Education Learning Trust
- Free school meals
- 22.7% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Cornwall
- School reference (URN)
- 136573
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Cornwall council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, February 2025
Inspected in February 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Charlestown Road, St Austell, PL25 3NR
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Mount Charles School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.2 miles
- Doubletrees School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Good 2.4 miles
- Red Moor School Independent · Ages 5–18 5.2 miles
- Bodmin College Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 8.8 miles
Other mainstream schools
Questions about Penrice Academy
How many pupils at Penrice Academy have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 203 of the 1,405 pupils (14.4%) were getting SEN support and 51 (3.6%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Penrice Academy?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are autism (64 pupils), moderate learning difficulties (55 pupils) and speech, language and communication needs (46 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Penrice Academy?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Penrice Academy?
Through Cornwall council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Penrice Academy?
You can ask for Penrice Academy to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Penrice Academy have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Mount Charles School, about 0.2 miles away.
Where is Penrice Academy?
Charlestown Road, St Austell, PL25 3NR, in Cornwall.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.