Cornwall College, St Austell
Cornwall College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in St Austell. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cornwall College in detail
Cornwall College in its own words
Coming up: an open day on Monday 26 October 2026, an open day on Tuesday 27 October 2026, an open day on Tuesday 3 November 2026 and an open day on Saturday 7 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Cornwall
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 1383 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 8% went on to university or other higher education, 11% to apprenticeships and 41% into work. 1% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Austell Rail Station, about 840 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cornwall College (se-bound), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 183 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Strong
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Cornwall College excels at preparing learners for real careers through exceptional learning resources and specialist facilities that mirror industry standards. Teachers bring genuine workplace expertise to their lessons, working closely with employers to ensure students learn the most current techniques and skills they'll actually need. The college powerfully supports all learners - from those with high needs to apprentices - through extensive work experience, community projects, and personalized learning plans.
Key Strengths
- Industry-standard facilities and resources that replicate real workplace environments, including specialist centres like Falmouth Marine School and the Eden Project
- Highly motivated and supportive teachers who are subject specialists with relevant industry experience and keep skills current
- Extensive partnerships with employers and local organizations that provide real work experience and ensure curriculum meets actual job market needs
- Strong support for learners with high needs, including community projects and inspirational work placements
- Excellent personal development opportunities including volunteering, community engagement, and building independence and communication skills
Areas for Improvement
- Provision for learners with high needs rated as Good rather than Outstanding, suggesting some room for enhancement in this area
Safeguarding
Learners and apprentices feel safe with staff creating inclusive, welcoming and caring environments, and learners receive education about safety risks including emergency response strategies.
Extracurricular Activities
Community projects including food bank support, volunteer work at creche facilities for early years learners, work experience placements including international opportunities in Spain and Portugal, employer-based learning opportunities with organizations like The National Trust and RSPB
Cornwall College is an Outstanding further education provider across eight centres in Cornwall and two in Devon, serving around 3,000 young learners, 1,500 adult learners, and 1,500 apprentices. The college has improved from Good to Outstanding since its previous inspection.
About
Cornwall College, also known as The Cornwall College Group (TCCG), is a further education college situated on eight sites throughout Cornwall and Devon, England, United Kingdom, with its headquarters in St Austell.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
z
Average grade
z
Best 3 A-Levels
z
Value added
2024/25 academic year
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,383 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
1%
Top-third university
20%
Degree course
24%
Any L4+ destination
1%
Apprenticeships
Based on 514 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
Keep up with Cornwall College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - St Austell
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Austell
Across Cornwall council
Places available
6,387
Applications
5,542
Got 1st preference
97.4%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All secondary applications across Cornwall council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(15)
Questions parents ask about Cornwall College
What is Cornwall College's Ofsted rating?
Cornwall College was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025.
What is the catchment area for Cornwall College?
No fixed boundary. When Cornwall College is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Cornwall College?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Cornwall College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Cornwall College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Cornwall College?
Cornwall College is at Corporate Headquarters, Cornwall College St Austell, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4DJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)