St Columb Minor Academy, Newquay
St Columb Minor Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Newquay, part of Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 8 schools in Newquay with published results, and 3,694th of 14,452 across England. It was 70% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- 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 27 Oct 2026
St Columb Minor Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at St Columb Minor Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 78% in reading and 69% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Columb Minor Academy
For September 2026 entry, 44 families put St Columb Minor Academy as their first choice and 99 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 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 St Columb Minor Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Columb Minor Academy are Newquay Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Outstanding); Nansledan School (0.9 miles, Good, 86% reading, 83% maths); Newquay Junior Academy (1.2 miles, Good, 74% reading, 78% maths); and The Bishops CofE Learning Academy (1.3 miles, Good, 71% reading, 75% maths).
St Columb Minor Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Newquay Primary AcademyNansledan SchoolNewquay Junior AcademyThe Bishops CofE Learning Academy
The trust
St Columb Minor Academy is one of 21 schools run by Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
61 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Columb Minor Academy (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).
Who goes there
5.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newquay Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Treviglas School (outside), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 51 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. 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, St Columb Minor Academy issued 41 suspensions, 9.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Columb Minor Academy are Treviglas Academy (under 0.1 miles) and Newquay Tretherras (0.5 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 2015, 11 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?
Pupils beam with pride at being a part of this tight-knit community. Their enjoyment of school is reflected in their high attendance. The school has raised aspirations for its pupils. They now learn new content well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs met through skilful adaptations.
The school has recently changed its behaviour systems. Staff and pupils understand this new approach. Pupils generally behave well throughout the day. They learn in a warm, calm and orderly environment. A few pupils still struggle to meet the school's higher expectations. Consequently, suspensions have risen during this period. However, staff calmly and compassionately support these pupils effectively. Children in the early years settle well. They quickly learn the rules and routines of the school day.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
New leadership has resulted in a period of rapid, sustained improvement. Trust support has also been significant. Together, they have addressed a decline in the quality of education and pupils' behaviour. There has been significant support for staff throughout this. They describe how change has been managed well. Staff feel their ideas are heard and valued. Teachers state that despite the changes, their workload has decreased. This has helped to create a united vision for the direction of the school.
The school identified that the curriculum needed greater ambition. Several subjects have been redesigned. Pupils now learn a logically ordered and ambitious curriculum. The school has identified the specific knowledge and vocabulary pupils should know. This starts in the early years. Consequently, teachers know precisely what to teach. Extensive training has also supported them with their subject knowledge. Nevertheless, on some occasions, teachers do not give tasks which match the high ambition of the curriculum. When this happens, it limits what pupils learn.
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 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
20.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
61 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 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 69% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
22.6
Infant (KS1)
29.4
KS2
13
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Columb Minor Academy
Term dates
St Columb Minor 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 St Columb Minor Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Columb Minor 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 St Columb Minor Academy
Will you get a place at St Columb Minor Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Columb Minor Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Columb Minor Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Columb Minor Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Columb Minor 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
70%
Available places
443 pupils
630 places
187 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newquay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newquay
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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
18
EHC Plans
19.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
393
Total Pupils
207
Boys
186
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,473
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,084
Per pupil
£2467k
Total funding
£138k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
14.9%
Persistent absence
417
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
St Columb Minor Academy
Questions parents ask about St Columb Minor Academy
What are SATs results like at St Columb Minor Academy?
Of the pupils at St Columb Minor Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is St Columb Minor Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Columb Minor Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Columb Minor Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Columb Minor 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 St Columb Minor Academy?
St Columb Minor Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 70% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at St Columb Minor Academy?
Classes at St Columb Minor Academy average 26.8 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Columb Minor Academy?
St Columb Minor Academy has around 393 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Columb Minor Academy?
5.7% of sessions were missed at St Columb Minor Academy in 2024/25. 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Columb Minor Academy?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming St Columb Minor 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 St Columb Minor Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 10 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 St Columb Minor Academy?
St Columb Minor Academy is at Porth Bean Road, St Columb Minor, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 3JF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)