About Us

We’re a lively, thriving school, and we pride ourselves on offering the very best for our students.

We cater for children and young people aged 11-16 who live in Penryn and the surrounding villages of Constantine, Flushing, Mabe, Mawnan Smith, Mylor, Perranwell and Ponsanooth.  Students also join us from Falmouth and other outlying villages and towns.

Originally, Penryn College opened in Falmouth in 1957, and was moved to its present site in 1961. Since that time, there has been a programme of continuous improvement and updating of buildings/classrooms. Our biggest development was the opening of our £24 million College building in 2008.

We have a great range of resources that help us meet the needs of students and the community; for example, through a partnership with the university, we were able to build a six badminton court-size sports hall, and have the latest generation synthetic turf pitch. 

Our unique relationship with surrounding primary schools – known as the ‘Penryn Partnership’ – helps primary children settle in at the school whilst adjusting to their new environment. 

Penryn College has grown from strength to strength…

Our most significant successes to date are being designated as a Sports College in 1998; a Leading Edge school in 2004; and a high-performing specialist college in 2006. Additionally, we have been graded as an ‘Outstanding’ school by Ofsted twice, in 2006 and 2009. In our most recent Ofsted inspection, we were graded as a ‘Good’ education provider. 

When our students conclude their time with us, the majority move on to a variety of sixth forms and colleges. These include Falmouth Sixth Form, Falmouth Marine School, Truro College and Cornwall College Camborne. With the help of our dedicated Careers team, our students are given help and guidance to make the most appropriate choices for their post-16 education.

At the end of 2010, as an Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ school, we were presented with the opportunity to consider converting to Academy status, in line with the new government initiative. In March 2011, following consultation with staff, parents/carers, pupils and the local community, our governors made the decision to start the process of conversion, and on July 1, 2011, we became an Academy. As an Academy, we are committed to maintaining everything that students, staff, parents/carers and the wider community value about Penryn College.

Brightcore Excellence in Safeguarding Commitment Award

We are delighted to announce that following an external safeguarding review earlier this
academic year with Brightcore Consultancy, Penryn College has been awarded the Brightcore Excellence in Safeguarding Commitment Award.

The Commitment Award recognises organisations that have engaged with Brightcore’s full external safeguarding review process and demonstrated a clear commitment to independent safeguarding scrutiny. It reflects the openness and professionalism involved in reviewing safeguarding arrangements thoroughly, including policies, procedures, systems, culture and practice.

As this external review framework is based on Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, this recognition is given to schools, colleges and organisations that have completed a full Brightcore external safeguarding review since September 2025.

This recognition is useful in demonstrating our commitment to external scrutiny, safeguarding assurance and continued development.