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State secondary · 11 to 16 · Mixed · 882 pupils

Poltair School

Trevarthian Road, St Austell, PL25 4BZ · Cornwall
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Ofsted: Good · February 2024(23/31)Oversubscribed · 1.2 first choices per place (2026)
School website ↗Google Maps ↗Directions ↗Ofsted reports ↗DfE results ↗Government register ↗

Summary

The key facts, in one place
GCSE (key stage 4) The league rank: the school's place among its council's schools of the same phase on the newest year's DfE results, the same rank as on the Schools map. In England: 2,369th of 3,223 on the same figure. Band: Lower half.
(23/31)Rank among 31 Cornwall secondaries with results, 2026 results (Attainment 8)
See the Cornwall league table →
Inspection
Good, February 2024
Getting in
Oversubscribed for Year 7 2026
Results
+0.26 progress 8; 41.7 attainment 8
Size
882 pupils; 183 places a year; classes of 24
Run by
Cornwall Education Learning Trust
Type
Academy sponsor led
Ages
11 to 16 · Mixed
Strengths, and things to check
  • Progress 8: +0.26, against -0.10 in Cornwall.
  • Suspensions per 100 pupils: 4.3, against 32.4 in Cornwall.
  • Attainment 8: 41.7, against 45.9 in Cornwall.
  • English and maths, grade 5+: 38%, against 44% in Cornwall.
Could your child get in?We hold no offer-day distances for this school yet. Enter your postcode to see how far it is from your home.Check a postcode ↓ Schools for usRank every school near you by the measures that matter to your family, each reason shown.Rank schools →

At a glance

i

SourceWhere these figures come from

How it is worked outCornwall and England: DfE's own averages for results. For the rest, the middle state secondary school of the same phase, from every school we hold, since DfE publishes no council figure we hold.

Against Cornwall and England
This schoolCornwallEnglandHover or tap a bar for the figures
Academic
Progress 8How far pupils progressed between the end of primary school and GCSEs, against pupils across England who started at the same level. 0 is average; +0.5 means half a grade better in each subject.
+0.26
Better than Cornwall
Attainment 8The average GCSE score across eight subjects, including English and maths counted twice. A grade 5 in all eight would score 50.
41.7
Worse than Cornwall
English and maths, grade 5+The share of pupils with grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE (a strong pass).
38%
Worse than Cornwall
Attendance and behaviour
Sessions missedHalf-day sessions missed, authorised or not, as a share of all sessions in the school year (DfE pupil absence). Lower is better.
9.6%
In line with Cornwall
Persistently absentPupils who missed one session in ten or more. Lower is better.
26.6%
In line with Cornwall
Suspensions per 100 pupilsSuspensions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. Lower is better; one or two incidents move a small school a lot.
4.3
Better than Cornwall
Pupils and classes
Average class sizeAverage pupils per class, from the school census. Shown for context, not as a score.
23.9
Context
Free school mealsPupils eligible for free school meals. Context for reading the results, not a measure of the school.
34%
Context
Pupils for each teacherPupils on roll for each full-time teacher, from the school workforce census. Shown for context.
15.0
Context
Demand for places
First choices per placeFamilies who put this school first, for each Year 7 place in 2026 (DfE applications and offers). Above 1 means more first choices than places.
1.2
More sought after than Cornwall
COULD YOUR CHILD GET IN? · YEAR 7 2027
i

SourceCouncil offer-day figures; none held for this school yet.

How it is worked outThe bars show how far the last place offered reached each year. A full bar means everyone who applied was offered a place; a dash means we hold no distance for that year. Your postcode is set against each year's last distance.

Things to know
  • A record of past years, not a promise: the distance changes every year with who applies.

We hold no offer-day distances for this school yet. Enter your postcode to see how far it is from your home.

Free, no account needed. Your postcode is used for this check and not kept.

Offers

How far offers reached

How far away the last child offered a place under the distance rule lived, as the council measures it. It changes every year with who applies: a record, not a promise. Children with a higher priority can be offered places from further away.

Year 7. Distance of the last child offered a place on offer day. What the last distance means →

Could you get in?Enter a home or postcode: we set it against every year's last offer and this school's rules.

Results

Quality

i

SourceOfsted · inspected 27 February 2024
DfE school performance tables · 2023/2024
DfE school performance tables · 2025/2026

  • Good
  • Progress 8: +0.26 (England +0.01) (county -0.10)
  • Attainment 8: 41.7 (England 47.4) (county 45.9)
  • English and maths grade 5 or above: 38% (England 48%) (county 44%)
  • Progress, set against pupils who started with the same results: above average

Results

i

SourceDfE school performance tables, 2023/2024, 2025/2026.

MeasureThis schoolEnglandCouncilYear
Progress 8+0.26+0.01-0.102023/2024
Attainment 841.747.445.92025/2026
English and maths grade 5 or above38%48%44%2025/2026

League table place

i

SourceDfE school performance tables: the newest year's results, place among the council's schools of the same phase.

TableLeague rank
GCSE (key stage 4)(23/31)

Where leavers go

i

SourceDfE, destination measures.

Things to know
  • A figure DfE hides for a small group is left out, not shown as nought. The newest year may be provisional.
StageLeavers inPupilsIn a sustained placeOf which
After GCSEs2023/2415289%In education 82%; Apprenticeship 1.3%; Employment 5.3%
After GCSEs2022/2314387%In education 73%; Apprenticeship 4.2%; Employment 10%
After GCSEs2021/2214685%In education 78%; Apprenticeship 5.5%; Employment 1.4%
Cornwall league tableEvery school of this phase in the council on these results.See the table →

Daily life and who goes there

Daily life

i

SourceDfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level · 2024/25
DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level · 2024/25
DfE, school workforce and pupil census · 2025/26
DfE, school workforce · November 2025
DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes) · within 800 m
DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years · 2021 to 2025
DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps · 2024

  • Absence: 9.6% of sessions missed; 27% of pupils miss 1 in 10 or more. Schools with a similar intake: 9.0% and 27%
  • Suspensions: 4 per 100 pupils (schools with a similar intake: 20); 0 permanent exclusions
  • Classes average 23.9 pupils; 3.6% of classes have more than 30
  • 15.0 pupils for each teacher
  • Nearest stops, in a straight line: bus 141 m, rail 514 m
  • 6 police-reported road collisions within 500 m (0 fatal, 2 serious)
  • Air: nitrogen dioxide 3.2 µg/m³, PM2.5 5.2 (1 km square, background level)

Absence

i

SourceDfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level, 2024-25.

Things to know
  • Similar intake: state schools of the same phase with free school meals in the same band (30-40%), the median of 654 schools.
YearSessions missedAuthorisedUnauthorisedPupils missing 1 in 10Pupils missing 1 in 2
2024/259.6%4.8%4.7%27%5.9%
2023/249.5%4.8%4.7%29%4.6%
2022/237.9%4.4%3.5%27%3.0%
Schools with a similar intake9.0%27%

Suspensions and exclusions

i

SourceDfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level, 2024-25.

YearSuspensions per 100 pupilsPupils suspendedSuspensionsPermanent exclusions
2024/254.32.9%380
2023/242.82.1%242
2022/233.12.0%250
Schools with a similar intake19.7

Class sizes and staff

i

SourceDfE, school workforce; school census, 2025/26.

MeasureFigureYear
Average class size23.92025/26
Classes over 30 pupils3.6%2025/26
Pupils for each teacher15.0November 2025

Stops nearby

i

SourceDfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes), current.

Things to know
  • A stop across a railway or main road may be a long walk. Bus frequency is not held.
KindNearest (metres, straight line)
bus141
rail514

Road collisions within 500 m

i

SourceDfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years, 2021 to 2025.

Things to know
  • 2 serious and 0 fatal in all; 1 involved a pedestrian, 0 a cyclist. Only collisions with an injury reported to police are counted.
YearCollisions
20252
20241
20232
20221
20210

Air quality

i

SourceDEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps.

Things to know
  • A 1 km background figure: not the air at the school gate beside a busy road.
PollutantAnnual mean (µg/m³)Year
NO23.22024
PM1010.02024
PM255.22024

Who goes there

i

SourceDfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs, 2025/26.

MeasureShare of pupilsYear
Eligible for free school meals34%2025/26
First language other than English4.6%2025/26
SEN support18%2025/26
Education, health and care plan2.5%2025/26
Girls48%2025/26

Ofsted

Ofsted, February 2024The judgements from the school's latest inspection. Reports from November 2025 use Ofsted's new report card, with different headings; we show whichever the latest report uses.Read the report ↗
Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding

Inspections

i

SourceOfsted, 2024.

DateKindOutcome
27 February 2024Graded inspectionGood

Admissions

Getting in

i

SourceDfE, school applications and offers · Year 7 2026

  • 218 families put it first for 183 places; 183 of them got in
  • We hold a catchment map for this school.
  • Some places go first to children from named primary schools: see the feeder rules below.
  • We can't tell how far Year 7 places reached: we hold no offer-day figures for this school. Ask the council or the school for the last distance offered.

Applications and offers, DfE

i

SourceDfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence), 2020 to 2026.

Things to know
  • Families name up to three schools, so most applications are somebody's second or third choice.
EntryYearPlacesFirst choicesAny choiceFirst choices offered
Year 72026183218482183
Year 72025175174440174
Year 72024192182468182
Year 72023198170332170
Year 72022178148298148
Year 720211248823488
Year 72020166105268105

Feeder school rules

i

SourceThe admission arrangements the school or council published.

How it is worked outQuoted word for word from those arrangements.

Things to know
  • Check the quote against the school's own current admission policy before you rely on it: rules change each year.

Named feeder primary schools · Year 7

i

SourceAdmission arrangements for 2027/28: the document, page 7.

Things to know
  • Read by our tools and not yet confirmed by a person.

Priority position: 5 (after 1-3, 4 designated area)

5. Children who attend one of the following primary schools on the closing date of applications as part of the Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme in the year preceding admission to a secondary school [schools listed below].

The arrangements refer to these schools, but the list is not in the document we read.

Who runs it

i

SourceDfE, Get Information about Schools: group links · joined September 2019
DfE, open academies list
DfE, Get Information about Schools: links · 31 August 2019

  • Cornwall Education Learning Trust, with 16 schools
  • Opened as an academy (sponsored) on 1 September 2019
  • Replaced Poltair School (URN 112052)
  • We can't compare results before and after it converted: we hold results for only one side of the date, because DfE publishes a few years at a time.

Fees and clubs

State schools charge no tuition fees. Breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and holiday clubs are set by each school: ask the school what it runs and what it costs.

Childcare costsWhat wraparound care and early years places cost, and what funding covers.See costs →

Nearby

Schools nearby

Penrice Academy0.9 miBrannel School4.6 miFowey River Academy6.3 miThe Roseland Academy7.3 miCompare side by side →

Nurseries nearby

i

SourceOfsted early years register.

Baby Bugs Nursery0.1 miles
Brighteyes0.4 miles
Stepping Stones Childcare (Cornwall)0.5 miles
Minibugs St Austell0.7 miles
Homes in reach of this schoolLook up any home near here: its sales, an open-data valuation, and which schools it keeps in reach.Search homes →

Sources

  • DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps
  • DfE school performance tables
  • DfE school performance tables: the newest year's results, place among the council's schools of the same phase
  • DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence)
  • DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level
  • DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level
  • DfE, destination measures
  • DfE, school workforce; school census
  • DfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs
  • DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes)
  • DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years
  • Ofsted
  • School register: DfE Get Information about Schools, updated 17 October 2026 (this school)
  • How we check these figures: How we know

More in schools in St Austell and the Cornwall league table.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources and methods: tap the (i) on each section. How we know · All sources.