The Roseland Academy Review 2026, Outstanding education with a strong sense of belonging

A small, coastal Cornwall secondary where ambition sits alongside genuine warmth. The latest official inspection confirmed that the school remains Outstanding, with high expectations for behaviour and a culture where students are known as individuals and learn without disruption.

Academically, results sit in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England, with progress measures indicating students make above average progress from their starting points.

Beyond lessons, the school leans into its setting and its scale. Volunteering on the school farm is highlighted as a distinctive strength, and the extracurricular list includes everything from the Roseland Racer Greenpower Team to music ensembles and water based activities such as surfing and sailing.

The atmosphere is calm, purposeful and relational. External review material describes warm, mutually respectful relationships between adults and pupils, with clear expectations for behaviour that allow learning to run without disruption.

Values are not treated as wallpaper. Kindness, responsibility and ambition are presented as trust wide drivers that are reinforced across school life, and the language connects to day to day routines rather than sitting in a separate “ethos” box.

There is also a clear sense of students contributing to the community, not simply receiving an education. Student voice is formalised through leadership structures, and practical contribution shows up in the inspection narrative through activities such as volunteering on the farm, alongside performance events and the display of student artwork.

Leadership is stable and visible. The headteacher is Mr Richard Clarke.

On the FindMySchool GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 1,829th in England and 3rd in Truro. This places performance broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), a useful benchmark for families comparing options across the area.

Headline GCSE indicators reinforce a “solid with strengths” picture rather than a pure exam hothouse profile. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 49, and Progress 8 is +0.41, indicating students make above average progress from their starting points by the end of Year 11.

Subject breadth matters here. The curriculum emphasis on encouraging students to keep a broad programme into key stage 4 aligns with the school’s stated direction of increasing modern foreign language uptake, which supports the English Baccalaureate route for more students over time.

The curriculum is framed as ambitious and carefully sequenced, with explicit attention to what students learn each year so that knowledge builds in a coherent way.

Classroom practice is described as highly skilled and diagnostic. Teachers check understanding closely, identify gaps early, and adapt work to secure learning before students move on to more challenging concepts. That has practical implications for families, it tends to suit students who respond well to clear structures, frequent feedback and high expectations around the quality of work.

Languages and literacy receive particular emphasis. External commentary highlights exceptionally strong pronunciation in French and Spanish linked to precise feedback, and the school’s Roseland Reading Routines underline a whole school priority on reading frequency, book talk, and targeted support for students who find reading difficult.

Where Students Go Next

This is an 11 to 16 school, so transition planning at 16 is a central part of the offer. Careers education is explicitly structured around post 16 decision making and exposure to a range of routes, including apprenticeships, further education and sixth form options.

The school signposts local and regional providers for different pathways. Named options include Truro and Penwith College, Callywith College, Cornwall College, and specialist providers linked to marine, land based or technical routes, alongside school based sixth form providers in the wider area.

The key implication for families is that the “next step” conversation needs to start early, particularly for students targeting selective sixth forms, competitive vocational routes, or apprenticeships with limited places. The school’s careers structure, including a designated Careers Leader and a programme that includes employer and external input, is designed to support that planning process.

Year 7 places are coordinated by Cornwall Council through the normal round secondary transfer process. For September 2026 entry, the application deadline is 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026 (National Offer Day for Cornwall).

For families moving into area, in year admissions are handled differently from the normal round. The school’s admissions information makes clear that prospective parents and carers can contact the school about current vacancies, and that tours may not be available for year groups where places are currently unavailable.

Because admission is coordinated by the local authority, families should also read Cornwall’s published oversubscription criteria for the relevant year and be realistic about travel. A practical step is to use the FindMySchoolMap Search to understand likely journey time and local patterns, especially in a rural catchment where transport can shape the school day as much as policy.

Pastoral support is structured rather than informal. External review material points to clear personal development work, including teaching students how to keep themselves safe, maintain healthy relationships, and build respectful understanding of different viewpoints through discussion and debate.

Targeted provision is also visible. The inspection text references dedicated support through Well-being and The Base, positioned as support for mental health and individual learning needs, with reported impact on attendance and achievement for students who need additional help.

Safeguarding is treated as a core operational priority. The latest inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The extracurricular programme is unusually specific and varied for a school of this size, and it is not confined to conventional after school sport. The published list includes Farm Club, Creative Writing Club, Roseland Choirs, Roseland Youth Orchestra, Rock School, Samba de Roselando, Ukulele Orchestra, Chess and Draughts, Christmas Cookery, and the Greenpower Racing Team, alongside a broad sports offer including sailing and surfing.

The best way to understand what this means in practice is to look at the “signature” experiences. The Roseland Racer Greenpower Team signals a real engineering and project strand, it suits students who prefer applied learning, teamwork, and competitive deadlines. Music groups and Rock School create a parallel identity for students who want to perform regularly. Farm Club adds something rarer, an opportunity to contribute in a practical setting that can be grounding for students who benefit from responsibility and hands on roles.

The school also runs an Activities Week, where the timetable is collapsed for the final week of the summer term to focus on wellbeing, social development and life skills through activities rather than standard lessons.

The school day runs from registration at 8.45am to an end of day at 3.05pm, with structured periods and breaks across the day. Students are not expected to be on site before 8.30am or after 3.05pm unless attending a supervised activity or club.

Transport is a practical factor for many families. The school references bus collection and drop off in the school bus bay, so families should plan routes early and consider how after school activities fit with transport home.

• No sixth form. All students move on at 16, so families should treat post 16 planning as part of the Year 9 to Year 11 journey rather than a final term decision.

• Transport can shape choices. In rural areas, bus timings and journey length can influence whether after school clubs are realistic on certain days.

• A broad curriculum expectation. The push towards more modern foreign language uptake at key stage 4 can suit students who enjoy breadth, but it may feel less comfortable for those who want a narrower options mix early.

This is a high quality 11 to 16 school with an Outstanding benchmark, strong pastoral structures, and a culture that treats belonging and contribution as central rather than optional. It suits students who respond well to clear expectations, consistent routines, and a school where relationships are purposeful and respectful. Families who value distinctive experiences, such as farm volunteering, performance events, and technical projects like Greenpower, will also find a strong match. The main strategic decision is post 16 planning, since progression always involves moving on at the end of Year 11.