Pondhu Primary School, St. Austell
Pondhu Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in St. Austell, part of Cornwall Education Learning Trust. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 180th-highest of the 209 schools in Cornwall with published results, and 12,831st of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Pondhu Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils at Pondhu Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 61% in reading and 71% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Pondhu Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Pondhu Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Pondhu Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Pondhu Primary School are St Mewan Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 75% maths); Mount Charles School (1.1 miles, Good, 80% reading, 75% maths); Sandy Hill Academy (1.4 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 80% maths); and Carclaze Community Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 85% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Pondhu Primary School.
St Mewan Community Primary SchoolMount Charles SchoolSandy Hill AcademyCarclaze Community Primary School
The trust
Pondhu Primary School is one of 16 schools run by Cornwall Education Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
46% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 30 pupils (16%) received SEN support and 12 (6.4%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Austell Rail Station, about 1010 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Penwinnick Road (nw-bound), 270 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Pondhu Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 138 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Pondhu Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Pondhu Primary School are Poltair School (0.9 miles) and Penrice Academy (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Pondhu Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2020. Before that, as Pondhu Primary School (URN 111984), it was rated Good in October 2012.
At a Glance
46.0%
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 remained stable at around 58% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 71% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 65% to 53% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
30.5
KS2
3
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Pondhu Primary School
Before and after school care
Pondhu Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Cornwall
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Pondhu Primary School.
- Schools Out Club, St Austell470m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Pondhu 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pondhu Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pondhu 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
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 22 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
2 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 Pondhu Primary School
Will you get a place at Pondhu Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Pondhu Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Pondhu Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Pondhu 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 Pondhu Primary School for 2021 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
79%
Available places
166 pupils
210 places
44 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
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
22.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
187
Total Pupils
89
Boys
98
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
23.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,807
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,335
Per pupil
£1173k
Total funding
£115k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
13.2%
Persistent absence
151
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
Pondhu Primary School
Questions parents ask about Pondhu Primary School
What are SATs results like at Pondhu Primary School?
Of the pupils at Pondhu Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 58% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Pondhu Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Pondhu Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2020. Before that, as Pondhu Primary School (URN 111984), it was rated Good in October 2012.
What is the catchment area for Pondhu Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Pondhu 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 Pondhu Primary School?
Pondhu Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Pondhu Primary School?
Classes at Pondhu Primary School average 26.7 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 Pondhu Primary School?
Pondhu Primary School has around 187 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Pondhu Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Pondhu Primary School in 2024/25. 13.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pondhu Primary School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Pondhu 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.
Does Pondhu Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Pondhu Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Pondhu Primary School: Schools Out Club, St Austell (470m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Pondhu Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 22 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 2 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 Pondhu Primary School?
Pondhu Primary School is at Penwinnick Road, St. Austell, Cornwall, PL25 5DS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)