Best Schools in St Ives

These schools serve pupils with particular needs, so they aren't ranked against mainstream schools on exam results. Places are usually arranged through the council, often via an Education, Health and Care plan.

Aurora Fairway SchoolAges 11-16 · Good

Questions parents ask about schools in St Ives

How many schools are there in St Ives?

St Ives has 11 open schools: 8 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in St Ives are rated Outstanding?

1 school in St Ives was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Holywell CofE Primary School. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 11 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.

Holywell CofE Primary School

Source: Ofsted

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

Of the 2 schools in St Ives with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Ivo Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.3 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St Ives School, with an Attainment 8 score of 42.4 and 36% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Ivo Academy St Ives School

Source: DfE school performance data

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

Of the 6 primary schools in St Ives with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Ives Junior School (83% in reading, 82% in maths); Thorndown Primary School (84% in reading, 81% in maths); and Holywell CofE Primary School (81% in reading, 70% 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.

St Ives Junior School Thorndown Primary School Holywell CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in St Ives?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in St Ives have catchment areas?

Most state schools in St Ives have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council 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 Ives?

Apply to your council - Cambridgeshire or Cornwall, depending on your address - 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.