St Ives School
96%
Capacity
573
Pupils
1.6x
Demand
About St Ives School
St Ives School sits in the middle of the pack among Cornwall's 31 state secondaries, ranked 16th by Progress 8 score. That places it just behind the county's strongest performers, such as The Roseland Academy, Penrice Academy and Poltair School, which all recorded positive Progress 8 scores. The school serves 573 pupils aged 11 to 16, with a capacity of 600, and is led by headteacher Simon Horner. Its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in 2017, rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management judged Outstanding. An ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. That's a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2014, when it was rated Requires Improvement. The school is non-denominational and has no sixth form, so students move on elsewhere after Year 11.
Academically, St Ives School performs broadly in line with the Cornwall local authority average. Its Progress 8 score of -0.12 is exactly the LA average, meaning pupils make the progress you'd expect nationally given their starting points. Attainment 8 sits at 45.9, and 65.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though that drops to 44.6% at grade 5 or above. The school's EBacc entry rate is 41.1%, with 13.4% of pupils achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. Progress in English and open subjects is close to zero, while maths and EBacc subjects are slightly negative. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom half by Progress 8, sitting at the 57th percentile, and in the South West region it ranks 187th out of 306 schools.
The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 182 applications for 112 places, with 111 first-preference offers made. Facilities include science labs, a library, astro turf, music rooms, a sports hall, art studios, an ICT suite, a theatre, playing fields, tennis courts and a chapel. Sports on offer range from hockey and rugby to dance and martial arts, while clubs include Model UN, DofE, coding, eco club and a newspaper group. SEND provision covers a wide range of needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a solid, well-subscribed local secondary that suits families looking for a Good-rated school with strong leadership and a broad range of activities, but without a sixth form.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Higher Tregenna, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 2BB |
| Headteacher | Simon Horner |
| Local Authority | Cornwall |
| Number of Pupils | 573 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 23.2% |
| School Capacity | 573 / 600 (96% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
1 Dec 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (1 Dec 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 27 Feb 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.12)
1815th of 3,141
Nationally
187th of 306
In South West
16th of 31
In Cornwall
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/232%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 120 pupils).
- FE college80%
- Not sustained8%
- Employment5%
- Apprenticeship3%
- School sixth form (stay)2%
92% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed112
182
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
111 families put this school as their 1st choice (61% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Source: stivesschool.net. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British91.6%
- Mixed3.4%
- White (other)2.4%
- Asian0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
3
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
2
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St Ives School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Higher Tregenna, St Ives
Cornwall, TR26 2BB
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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