Sir James Smith's School
Dark Lane, Camelford, PL32 9UJOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Sir James Smith's School is a secondary school in Camelford for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 295 schools in Cornwall. It ranks 17th of 31 secondary schools in Cornwall. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in April 2016.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 19 April 2016, report published 8 June 2016
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 11 October 2022
Pupils are proud to attend Sir James Smith's. They enjoy coming to school and say that it is inclusive and safe. They form strong relationships with staff. Leaders have high expectations, and model the school values of ambition, aspiration and achievement. One parent's comment, that captures the opinion of many, was, 'My children have been given every opportunity to become well-rounded individuals.' The school is a calm and friendly environment. Pupils move between lessons purposefully. They are polite and well-mannered to each other and towards all staff. They show positive attitudes to their learning. Staff do not tolerate low-level disruption. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They have confidence in staff to address any incidents that do occur. Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities beyond the curriculum. For example, there are a growing number of pupils participating in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Another example is a recent scuba-diving trip which enabled some pupils to achieve open water diving qualifications. Daily, there are many extra-curricular clubs, such as reading, fishing and plastic brick-building challenges. Pupils enjoy these activities and describe them as highlights of their time at school.
What the school should improve
- In some subject areas, the core knowledge that pupils need to learn is not broken down into sufficient detail. This leads to some inconsistency in the content being taught to pupils across different classes. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have planned in detail what pupils need to know and remember as part of the shared curriculum.
- A minority of parents say they do not receive sufficient or detailed enough information about their child's experience and progress in school. This can sometimes lead to a breakdown in the partnership between school and home. Leaders should ensure that communication with parents is clear, timely and informative.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
100 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
588 pupils on roll, with places for 696
Schools near Sir James Smith's School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadebridge School | 9 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 44.7 |
| Callywith College | 10 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
| Bodmin College | 11 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Attainment 8: 46.0 |
| St Josephs School | 14 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 46.7 |
| Launceston College | 14 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 48.0 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- WESTCOUNTRY SCHOOLS TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Marc Cooper
- Phone
- 01840213274
- Address
- Dark Lane, Camelford, PL32 9UJ
- Local authority
- Cornwall
- URN
- 146408
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.