Sandy Hill Academy, St Austell
Sandy Hill Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in St Austell, part of Aspire Academy Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 14 schools in St Austell with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Sandy Hill Academy in detail
Sandy Hill Academy in its own words
In its own words: "At Sandy Hill Academy, we strive to be a place where children are happy, confident and secure in the knowledge that they are valued and listened to, where they can be excited and challenged in an environment that promotes learning at all levels."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Sandy Hill Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 80% 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 (83% in reading, 81% in maths).
Getting a place at Sandy Hill Academy
For September 2026 entry, 53 families put Sandy Hill Academy as their first choice and 149 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 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 Sandy Hill Academy are Mount Charles School (0.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 75% maths); Carclaze Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 69% reading, 85% maths); Bishop Bronescombe CofE School (0.6 miles, Good, 72% reading, 65% maths); and Charlestown Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 76% reading, 64% maths).
Sandy Hill Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Mount Charles SchoolCarclaze Community Primary SchoolBishop Bronescombe CofE SchoolCharlestown Primary School
The trust
Sandy Hill Academy is one of 38 schools run by Aspire Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
3.3% 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 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carlyon Arms (sw-bound), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 168 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, Sandy Hill Academy issued 4 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Sandy Hill Academy are Penrice Academy (0.4 miles) and Poltair School (0.7 miles).
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; 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 agoThis judgement is from February 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its February 2017 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
19.1%
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 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
15
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 Sandy Hill Academy
Term dates
Sandy Hill Academy 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 Sandy Hill Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sandy Hill Academy 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
6 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 Sandy Hill Academy
Will you get a place at Sandy Hill Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sandy Hill Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sandy Hill Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sandy Hill Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sandy Hill Academy 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
99%
Near capacity
416 pupils
420 places
4 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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
78
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
21.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
455
Total Pupils
242
Boys
213
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
22.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,604
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,995
Per pupil
£2309k
Total funding
£117k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
6.1%
Persistent absence
362
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
Sandy Hill Academy
Questions parents ask about Sandy Hill Academy
What are SATs results like at Sandy Hill Academy?
Of the pupils at Sandy Hill Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Sandy Hill Academy's Ofsted rating?
Sandy Hill Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2017, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Sandy Hill Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Sandy Hill Academy is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sandy Hill Academy?
Sandy Hill Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Sandy Hill Academy?
Classes at Sandy Hill Academy average 29.7 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 Sandy Hill Academy?
Sandy Hill Academy has around 455 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sandy Hill Academy?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Sandy Hill Academy in 2024/25. 6.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sandy Hill Academy?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Sandy Hill Academy 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 Sandy Hill Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 13 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 6 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 Sandy Hill Academy?
Sandy Hill Academy is at Sandy Hill, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 3AT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)