Charlestown Primary School, St Austell
Charlestown Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in St Austell, part of Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 14 schools in St Austell with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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 26 Oct 2026
Charlestown Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Charlestown Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (73% in reading, 68% in maths).
Getting a place at Charlestown Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Charlestown Primary School as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 43 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Charlestown Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Charlestown Primary School are Bishop Bronescombe CofE School (0.7 miles, Good, 72% reading, 65% maths); Sandy Hill Academy (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 80% maths); Mount Charles School (0.9 miles, Good, 80% reading, 75% maths); and Carclaze Community Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 69% reading, 85% maths).
Charlestown Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Bishop Bronescombe CofE SchoolSandy Hill AcademyMount Charles SchoolCarclaze Community Primary School
The trust
Charlestown Primary School is one of 21 schools run by Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
70 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Charlestown Primary School (as of September 2025): 43% would recommend the school, 74% say their child is happy there and 55% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (81%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (37%).
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Austell Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Glebe House (nw-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 75 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Charlestown Primary School issued 32 suspensions, 8.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Charlestown Primary School are Penrice Academy (0.7 miles) and Poltair School (1.5 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school and trust have high expectations for what pupils can achieve at Charlestown. They are ambitious for pupils' academic outcomes. The school are determined that pupils will be well prepared for secondary school and beyond. Pupils rise to this challenge and achieve well. They are committed to their learning. Pupils enjoy participating in lessons, often using their oracy skills to share ideas and build on those of others.
Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are friendly and polite. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. The classroom environment is calm and purposeful. Where a minority of pupils find school life more challenging, staff support them to manage their emotions and behaviour well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has been through a period of significant change. A new headteacher started in March 2024 and several other leaders and teaching staff are also relatively new to the school. Throughout this period, the school has benefited from the support of the trust. They have worked together to establish a high-quality curriculum. A well planned professional development programme has increased staff expertise to deliver this curriculum well. Teachers, including those at the early stages of their career, are confident to deliver the different subjects across the curriculum. The majority of staff say they have been supported well by leaders during this period of change.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2019 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
70 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 68% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
23.5
Infant (KS1)
28.9
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Charlestown Primary School
Newsletter - 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter - 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
newsletter 24th april
newsletter 8th may
newsletter 22nd may
newsletter 5th june
From Charlestown Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Charlestown Primary School
Term dates
Charlestown Primary 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Charlestown Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Charlestown Primary 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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 Charlestown Primary School
Will you get a place at Charlestown Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Charlestown Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Charlestown Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Charlestown Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Charlestown Primary School for 2014 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
92%
Near capacity
387 pupils
420 places
33 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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
23.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
372
Total Pupils
197
Boys
175
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
20.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,005
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2081k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
13.0%
Persistent absence
353
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Charlestown Primary School
Questions parents ask about Charlestown Primary School
What are SATs results like at Charlestown Primary School?
Of the pupils at Charlestown Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is Charlestown Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Charlestown Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Charlestown Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Charlestown Primary 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 Charlestown Primary School?
Charlestown Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Charlestown Primary School?
Classes at Charlestown Primary School average 26.6 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 Charlestown Primary School?
Charlestown Primary School has around 372 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Charlestown Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Charlestown Primary School in 2024/25. 13% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Charlestown Primary School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Charlestown Primary 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 Charlestown Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Charlestown Primary School?
Charlestown Primary School is at Crinnis Road, Carlyon Bay, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 3PB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)