St Hilary School
School Lane, St Hilary, Penzance, TR20 9DR
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- TRURO & PENWITH ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Robin Hamshar
- Sponsor
- Truro and Penwith College
- Constituency
- St Ives
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 245
- Pupils on roll
- 206
- URN
- 136879
- Local authority
- Cornwall
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01736763324
About this school
St Hilary School is a primary academy in Penzance. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 206 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected St Hilary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 35 | 52 | 29 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 60% | 50% | 62% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 4% | 14% |
| Expected standard in reading | 74% | 77% | 86% |
| Expected standard in maths | 69% | 58% | 69% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 77% | 75% | 72% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 101.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -4.70 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -2.00 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How St Hilary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Cornwall average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 60% | 56.6% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 50% | 56.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 62% | 59.4% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 241 |
| 2023/24 | 230 |
| 2024/25 | 197 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Hilary School compares
St Hilary School ranked 101st of 209 primary schools in Cornwall for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 45% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 69% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 62% | 4.7% | 14.2% | 206 | — |
| Marazion School | — | — | — | 99 | 1.9 miles |
| Germoe Community Primary School | 45% | 6.7% | 22.5% | 76 | 2.2 miles |
| St Erth Community Primary School | 63% | 5.3% | 20.8% | 105 | 2.5 miles |
| Ludgvan School | 38% | 4.4% | 12.4% | 199 | 2.8 miles |
| Godolphin Primary School | 56% | 3.7% | 9.5% | 81 | 3.2 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 14.21%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 4.67%
- Persistent absence
- 7.87%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Marazion School1.9 miles
Primary · Marazion
-
Germoe Community Primary School2.2 miles
Primary · Penzance
-
St Erth Community Primary School2.5 miles
Primary · Hayle
-
Ludgvan School2.8 miles
Primary · Penzance
-
Godolphin Primary School3.2 miles
Primary · Helston
Other schools in Penzance
St Hilary School ranks 10th of the 18 ranked primary schools in Penzance.
- Alverton Primary School Primary
- Germoe Community Primary School Primary
- Gulval School Primary
- Heamoor Community Primary School Primary
- Ludgvan School Primary
- Madron Daniel Church of England School Primary
- Madron Daniel CofE (VA) School Primary
- Mousehole School Primary
- Nancledra School Primary
- Newlyn School Primary
- Pendeen School Primary
- Pensans Community Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does St Hilary School teach?
- St Hilary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Penzance.
- Who is the headteacher of St Hilary School?
- The headteacher of St Hilary School is Mr Robin Hamshar, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has St Hilary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Hilary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at St Hilary School?
- St Hilary School has 206 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is St Hilary School full?
- St Hilary School has capacity for 245 pupils and 206 on roll (84%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Hilary School a faith school?
- No. St Hilary School has no designated religious character.
- Does St Hilary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Hilary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is St Hilary School part of an academy trust?
- St Hilary School is part of TRURO & PENWITH ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have St Hilary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 60% in 2022/23 and 62% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does St Hilary School compare with other schools in Cornwall?
- St Hilary School ranked 101st of 209 primary schools in Cornwall for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 45% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 69% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St Hilary School's absence rate?
- St Hilary School's overall absence rate is 4.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St Hilary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Hilary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 1 July 2026.