Truro School was founded in 1880 by Cornish Methodists. In 1904, it came under the control of the Methodist Independent Schools Trust (MIST) and is now administered by a Board of Governors appointed by the Methodist Conference. Although pupils come from all parts of the country and abroad, the roots of the school are firmly in Cornwall and it is the only HMC school in the county.
The religious instruction and worship are undenominational though the school is conscious of its Methodist origins.
There are 820 pupils (760 day, 60 boarders) in the Senior School (age 11+ and above). There are another 290 pupils in the Preparatory School, where boys and girls may start in the Nursery at the age of 3.
The school is fully co-educational throughout and there is a strong Sixth Form of some 180 pupils.
Boarding. The Senior School has two girls boarding houses: Malvern House and Pentreve House; boy boarders live in Trennick House. All the Houses have Boarding Staff who live onsite with their families, helping to ensure a home-from-home feel. Pupils eat in the central dining room with a cafeteria system. There is a School Medical Centre on site and the boarders have use of all the School facilities. No boarding is available at the Prep School.
Campus and buildings. The Prep School campus is built around a country house acquired by the school in the 1930s. It has an indoor heated swimming pool and extensive areas for science, modern languages, computing, art and crafts, as well as a modern sports hall, new Dining Hall and a new Assembly Hall. The Pre-Prep is housed in a purpose-built unit within the grounds of the Prep School.
The Senior School occupies an outstanding site overlooking the Cathedral city of Truro and the Fal Estuary. It is only five minutes from the centre of the city, but the playing fields reach into the open countryside. The school is excellently equipped. There is a first-class Library, extensive science laboratories, excellent Technology and Art facilities, a computer centre, Music School, Sixth Form Centre and a Sixth Form Café and a range of classroom blocks. The fine block containing the Burrell Theatre, six classrooms and a drama centre has been extended to provide a Modern Languages Centre in The Wilkes Building. An attractive and newly refurbished chapel provides a focus for the life of the school. The Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre, completed in September 2013, provides an eight-court multi-use sports hall, two county-standard glass-backed squash courts with viewing gallery, large fitness suite with a range of aerobic, strength and conditioning equipment, adding to the existing excellent facilities of 25m swimming pool, cricket nets, tennis courts, 40 acres of pitches and cricket pavilion. Following a link with Truro Fencing Club in September 2014, the school has its own designated Fencing Salle. In September 2018, the School opened its new Cookery School, in association with Leiths School of Food & Wine – a state-of-the-art 10-bay facility for co-curricular cookery and delivery of the Leiths Introductory Certificate to Food and Wine during the Sixth Form.
Organisation and curriculum. Our academic programme up to GCSE provides a balance between the three Sciences, Humanities, Creative Arts and Modern Languages. In the 1st to 3rd Year, pupils study English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, French, Spanish and German, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Art, Design & Technology, Drama, ICT and Music. All pupils have PE as well as Games each week.
At GCSE, the norm is to study ten subjects at full GCSE. Compulsory subjects are English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Double Award or Triple Award Science; the options include French, German, Spanish, Geography, History, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Music, Drama, Computer Science, Religious Studies, PE and Geology.
A Levels include the same subjects as at GCSE, but with the introduction of Further Mathematics, Religious Studies (with Philosophy and Ethics), Economics, Business Studies, Psychology and the Extended Project Qualification. Our Sixth Form Diploma is an exciting framework of opportunities within supra-curricular, personal growth, leadership and service, and is built around our core A-Level offering. As part of this we provide advice on careers and university applications, with a specialised programme for potential Medics, Dentists and Vets and Oxbridge. Three subjects will be most commonly continued into the Upper Sixth at A Level and the vast majority of Sixth Formers go on to further education when they leave. In addition to A Levels, we offer the five-term Leiths Introductory Certificate which carries UCAS points as well as the CTECH in Sport and Physical Activity.
Out-of-school activities. Co-curricular life is rich and varied. There is a choir, school orchestra, a jazz group, a brass band and many other ensembles. Facilities such as the ceramics room, the art room and the technical block are available to pupils in their spare time. A huge variety of activities includes fencing, squash, sailing, golf, basketball, debating, surfing, and many others. Many pupils take part in the Ten Tors Expedition, an exceptional number are engaged in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, as well as local Community Service.
Games. All the major team games are played. Badminton, cross-country, hockey, netball, squash and tennis are available throughout most of the year. Rugby and Girls Hockey are played in the Winter Term and Soccer and Netball in the Spring Term. In the summer, cricket, athletics and tennis are the major sports. The covered pool is heated. The School also has its own Fencing Salle, with our fencers competing nationally and internationally.
Admissions. Pupils are able to join the Prep at any age from 4 to 11 years and at any point in the academic year, subject to availability. Admission to the Senior School's 1st to 4th Years is by entrance exam, school report and interview. Admission to the Sixth Form is by school report and interview with the Head, and is based on predicted GCSE grades or equivalent.
Scholarships and bursaries. Truro School has links with Truro Cathedral to offer chorister scholarships for girls (ages 13–18) and boys (ages 7–13). Academic, Sporting and Music scholarships are awarded in the form of enhanced educational opportunities, and not as a reduction in fees. The School also offers a small number of means-tested bursaries up to the value of full fees.
Fees per term (2024-2025). Senior School: International Boarders £13,075; Full Boarders £11,820; Weekly Boarders £10,155; Day Pupils (including lunch) £5,950. Prep (including lunch): £5,260 (Years 3–4); £5,465 (Years 5–6). Pre-Prep (including lunch): £3,705 (Nursery and Reception); £3,895 (Years 1 and 2). Please note these fees are correct as of September 2024 but subject to change from January 2025 due to probable VAT legislation.
Academic results. In our 2024 results, over 90% of pupils secured their university of choice, including Oxbridge and International University placements. 73% gained A*–B and 45% gained A*/A results at A level and the School’s ALPS grade 2 scored in the top 10% nationally. GCSE results were equally worthy of celebration as our pupils achieved far above the national averages; 19 pupils achieved all grades 9 or 8, and over 53% of all grades were 9–7.
Former Pupils’ Association. There is a strong Former Pupils’ Association and it has its own web alumnus. The ‘Friends of Truro School’ involves parents, staff, old pupils and friends of the school in social events and fundraising.
Charitable status. Truro School is part of the Methodist Independent Schools Trust, which is a registered Charity, number 1142794.
Governors & Staff:
Visitor: The President of the Methodist Conference
Administrative Governors:
Chairman: R Thomas, BSc, MRICS
N Ashcroft, MBE
M Aliffe, BA Hons, BSC, FRICS
R Cartwright, CTA
B Dolan, LLB Hons
Revd Mark Dunn-Wilson
Mrs E Garner, BA Hons, MEd
R Griffin, MA
Mrs L Howard, BSc, MEd
A Luck
M MacDonald, BEng, FCA
A Murray, MA
R Raistrick, BA, PGCE
Mrs B Scarsbrook, BA Hons, BCL, BPTC
Mrs H Sullivan, MA
Mrs C White, MSc, BA Hons, FCIPD, FLPI
Headmaster: A Johnson, BA
Deputy Heads:
R Murphy (Pastoral)
Dr S K Pope, BSc, PhD (Academic)
Mrs Z Jobling (Co-Curriculum & Partnerships)
Assistant Heads:
Mrs E Ellison, BSc (Director of Studies)
Miss E Mitchell (Teaching & Learning)
Chaplain: Revd Helen Byrne
Business Director: K Topping
Boarding House Staff:
D McKeown, MSc, MEd
Mrs S Mulready, BA Malvern
Heads of Year:
R Williamson (Head of Sixth Form)
Mrs B Richards (U6)
Mrs L Jupp (L6)
Ms J R Egar (5th Year)
Mr G D Hooper (4th Year)
Mr T H Copeland (3rd Year)
Miss D Overend (2nd Year)
Mr C Mill (1st Year)
Heads of Department:
D Meads, BA (Art)
Ms S Havis (Biology)
Dr J Older, BSc, PhD, PGCE (Chemistry)
B Oldfield, BA (Drama)
C Baker, BSc (Design and Technology)
J Whatley, BSc (Economics, Business Studies and Politics)
Mrs A L Selvey, BA, MA (English)
Mrs J Wormald, BSc (Geography)
Ms J Hope, BSc (Geology)
Dr M H Spring, MA, PhD (History)
J Butterworth, BA, MEd, PGCE (Mathematics)
Ms C Le Bihan, PGCE (Modern Languages)
Richard Osmond (Music)
D J Sanderson (Director of Sport)
A L Laity, BSc (Physics)
Mr Adrian Chamberlain (Religious Education)
Truro School Preparatory School
Prep School Head:
Mr R Morse