Ever since Sir Humphry Davy, a native of Penzance, gained world-wide recognition for his unique contribution to science, Penzance and the District of Penwith have enjoyed a justifiable reputation as a centre of education. Davy's influence can be traced directly to Humphry Davy School and Penwith College but the local reputation for academic excellence does not rely on the past. There is plenty of evidence of present achievement.

Educational Successes

In recent years, well over 50% of all Penwith pupils taking GCSE achieved 5 subjects or more at grades A-C. This compares very favourably with the average for England at between 40-50% and indeed with the rest of Cornwall at a similar level.

Recently, approx. 250 students achieved A-C grades in 2 or more A-level subjects. In 30 A-level subjects available to them, these students achieved results above the national average in well over half of these subjects. Mature students did even better, whether part-time or full-time, achieving an average score well above the general national figure. The pass rate for Advanced GNVQ was considerably higher than at other Cornish colleges.

Over 200 Sixth-Form College students progressed to Higher Education - more than 2/3rds of the total - and others continued with Further Education.