Bugle School, St Austell
Bugle School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in St Austell, part of Aspire Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 13th-highest of the 14 schools in St Austell with published results, and 13,336th of 14,452 across England. It was 67% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Bugle School in detail
Bugle School in its own words
In its own words: "We our proud of our school identity and celebrate our diverse community. Our aim is to promote a fully inclusive partnership where there is true equality of opportunity in all aspects of life-long learning."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils at Bugle School reached the expected standard in reading and 50% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 40% in reading and 35% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bugle School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put Bugle School as their first choice and 21 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bugle School are Treverbyn Academy (1.2 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); Roche Community Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 71% reading, 55% maths); Luxulyan School (2.2 miles, Good, 89% reading, 78% maths); and Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery (2.3 miles).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Bugle School.
Treverbyn AcademyRoche Community Primary SchoolLuxulyan SchoolSky Primary and Eden Project Nursery
The trust
Bugle School is one of 38 schools run by Aspire Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
41.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 47 pupils (28.1%) received SEN support and 7 (4.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Bugle School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bugle Rail Station, about 330 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bugle CP School (s-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bugle School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bugle School issued 29 suspensions, 18.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
41.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 40% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 35% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 50% to 55% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Bugle School
Term dates
Bugle School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cornwall's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bugle School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bugle School is in Cornwall; for families living there:
- Cornwall's school travel policy: Home to School Travel Assistance Policy 2026/27
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bugle School
Will you get a place at Bugle School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bugle School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bugle School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bugle School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bugle School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cornwall got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
67%
Available places
141 pupils
210 places
69 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - St Austell
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Austell
Across Cornwall council
Places available
6,475
Applications
4,732
Got 1st preference
95.9%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Cornwall council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
32.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
167
Total Pupils
90
Boys
77
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
18.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,560
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,321
Per pupil
£1059k
Total funding
£82k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.0%
Overall absence
37.7%
Persistent absence
138
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bugle School
What are SATs results like at Bugle School?
Of the pupils at Bugle School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% reached the expected standard in reading and 50% did so in maths.
What is Bugle School's Ofsted rating?
Bugle School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Bugle School?
No fixed boundary. When Bugle School is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bugle School?
Bugle School was not full in 2025: it ran at 67% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Bugle School?
Classes at Bugle School average 26.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bugle School?
Bugle School has around 167 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bugle School?
10% of sessions were missed at Bugle School in 2024/25. 37.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bugle School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Bugle School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Bugle School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bugle School?
Bugle School is at Fore Street, Bugle, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 8PD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)