Best Schools in St Austell

How many schools are there in St Austell?

St Austell has 20 open schools: 15 state primary, 4 state secondary or all-through and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in St Austell are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in St Austell were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Cornwall College, Sandy Hill Academy and Penrice Academy. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 18 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Cornwall CollegeSandy Hill AcademyPenrice Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in St Austell get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in St Austell with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Penrice Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.1 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Poltair School, with an Attainment 8 score of 41.7 and 38% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Brannel School, with an Attainment 8 score of 38 and 30% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Penrice AcademyPoltair SchoolBrannel School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in St Austell have the best SATs results?

Of the 14 primary schools in St Austell with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Gorran School (88% in reading, 94% in maths); Mevagissey Community Primary School (82% in reading, 100% in maths); and Sandy Hill Academy (80% in reading, 80% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Gorran SchoolMevagissey Community Primary SchoolSandy Hill Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in St Austell?

No. None of the state secondary schools in St Austell selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in St Austell have catchment areas?

Most state schools in St Austell have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in St Austell?

Apply to Cornwall through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.