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A model for the nucleation of ferrite on austenite grain boundaries and the growth of these nuclei along the grain boundary and into the grain, is developed. A cellular automaton algorithm, with transformation rules based on this model, is used to simulate the decomposition of austenite into ferrite. When performed under continuous cooling conditions, the simulations give an insight into the competition between nucleation and early growth, which determines the variation of ferrite grain size with the cooling rate and with austenite grain size. The number of ferrite grains per austenite grain, ferrite grain size and the kinetics of ferrite formation are obtained as a function of the cooling rate and austenite grain size. Contour plots of the volume fraction of ferrite in the cells at different times, enables visualization of the ferrite growth process.