Penwith Alternative Provision Academy
Penbrea Road, Penzance, TR18 3NXOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Penwith Alternative Provision Academy is an alternative provision school in Penzance for ages 3 to 16. It is one of the 295 schools in Cornwall. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 8 January 2025, report published 29 January 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 8 January 2025
Pupils blossom at this ambitious, effective provision. Typically, they join following long periods of instability in their education. However, pupils benefit from skilled staff who quickly build strong, trusting relationships. Staff work hard to promote a sense of belonging. This helps engender a calm and friendly atmosphere. Staff ensure subject content is taught in ways that pupils enjoy and can understand. Consequently, pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), quickly experience success. Most rediscover an interest in learning and greater optimism for the future. Staff share high expectations for pupils. Pupils benefit from studying a carefully planned curriculum, adapted to meet their specific needs and aspirations. They achieve well. Careers advice is woven into pupils' planned pathways. This helps pupils learn to value their place in their school and local communities. Pupils' behaviour improves significantly over time. Staff are skilled and know how to support individual pupils with their needs. Lessons are focused and purposeful. Pupils take pride in their work. Bullying is extremely rare and sorted quickly if it ever does happen. Pupils are happy and enjoy their learning.
What the school should improve
- The implementation of the curriculum in some subjects is not as secure and consistent as in others. This affects pupils' ability to apply key knowledge secured in one subject when learning in others. The trust needs to ensure the implementation of the curriculum is consistent and enables pupils to apply what they learn across subjects with confidence.
- Although overall attendance is improving, pupils are regularly absent. When pupils return to school, the systems to ensure they catch up with important learning are not applied consistently. This means pupils have gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed. The trust should improve the consistency in which the school ensures that pupils catch up on missed learning when they are away from school.
Pupil numbers and mix
44 pupils on roll, with places for 54
Schools near Penwith Alternative Provision Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|
| Nine Maidens Alternative Provision Academy | 13 miles | Ofsted: Good |
| Community & Hospital Education Service Ap Academy | 23 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding |
| Restormel Academy | 37 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard |
| North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy | 43 miles | Ofsted: Good |
| Caradon Alternative Provision Academy | 52 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding |
School details
- School type
- Academy alternative provision converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- WAVE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 3 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Christian Denley
- Phone
- 01736332341
- Address
- Penbrea Road, Penzance, TR18 3NX
- Local authority
- Cornwall
- URN
- 139760
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.