Penryn College's new head, his staff, governors and pupils are in celebratory mood after receiving their first Ofsted report in five years which heaps praise on the school's calm atmosphere, strong leadership and the progress made by students.

The school has maintained its good rating with the inspectors noting the improvements that have been made since the last inspection in April 2012. Headteacher Paul Walker said: "We are really pleased that the inspection team noted our strengths, namely the progress of students and the ‘well-focused and effective support’ the staff give to individual students.

"We know our students do well because we care about them and their individual circumstances, and so we are very pleased the inspectors recognised that ‘ensuring pupils are safe and well looked after is at the heart of everything the school does.’

"The report has identified ways in which the school could continue to strengthen the overall high quality of teaching, and we will take this into account as we strive to provide the very best education for the young people in our care. Staff, students, parents and governors are delighted the report confirms what a great school Penryn College is."

Inspector James Sage said: "There is a clear focus on the all-round development of pupils. This is important as many are vulnerable... Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress in a wide range of subjects. They are now better prepared for their next steps when they leave school. In previous years the most able disadvantaged pupils did not achieve as well as expected. This has been tackled well and currently these pupils make at least good progress in all year groups.

"The achievement of boys is above the national average for boys. However, senior leaders are fully aware that they do not make as much progress as girls in some subjects. Leaders are tackling some boys' attitudes to their work with noticeable effect. The most able pupils make strong progress in a wide range of subjects."

Mr Sage also said that the majority of pupils behave well and it was good to see "so many pupils and teachers smiling and clearly enjoying themselves in lessons." He also reported that pupils in all years make strong progress in English and maths and across a wide range of subjects.

Henry Preston, chair of the school’s governing body, said: "The governors are extremely proud of the students and staff of Penryn College. The school is going from strength to strength, and the commitment we all share to its continued success has been recognised in this report."