School Chooser

Beccles Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy148 pupilsNurseryBecclesSuffolk
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 37
Out of 100. Better than 34% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2022
Reached the expected level at 1150%England 63%
Attendance92.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families46%Far more than most schools
Places272 spare148 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher18.0School workforce census

Beccles Primary Academy is a sponsored academy in Beccles for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 148 pupils and room for 420. About 46 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 34% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Ellough Road, Beccles, NR34 7AB01502 713281becclesacademy.orgMr Simon Wood headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 18 May 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

24 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1150%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 36%36%20172018: 55%55%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 65%65%20242025: 50%50%2025
Since 2017: +14%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SuffolkEngland
Pupils tested243430363336
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths50%65%67%67%55%36%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%3%10%6%9%8%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0105.0105.0104.0104.098.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0102.0103.0103.0102.0100.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0103.0102.0103.0104.0100.0103.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard71%82%77%69%64%42%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard67%68%70%75%79%58%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)63%71%70%78%67%72%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.2+1.0+0.2-3.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.7+0.1+0.4-1.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged45%69%58%61%55%8%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged54%62%72%72%55%52%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
45%54%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
57%40%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places136 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
43% full

179 places were empty (57% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 27% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Suffolk council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll148Census January 2026
Places42035% full
Pupils from low-income families43%46% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support20%29 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.26 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils17%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)46%£89,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls75 / 73
White British pupils90%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 19.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (11), Specific learning difficulty (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), emotional and mental health (6), Moderate learning difficulty (3), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll148149178185203202
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals43%44%38%44%40%40%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%5%5%4%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support22%19%15%11%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%3%4%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils12.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.3%8.3%8.1%6.5%3.8%5.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.1%5.3%5.9%5.1%3.2%4.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.2%3.0%2.2%1.4%0.6%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.6%27.6%23.8%21.1%11.0%12.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate12.115.714.14.97.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00010

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers7.9full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher18.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers89%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,603
Teachers who left in the year31%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.22024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,752England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£8,765England £7,587. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,591England £3,405
Money in reserve3%Very little put by: £34k, £227 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£2,000it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,752spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m6612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate71 per 1,000 people22% lower than the England average
Typical house price£287,500East Suffolk
Nearest bus stop90 mPrimary Academy, 25 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Ravensmere Infant SchoolAcademy910 m52Good 202353Compare
The Albert Pye Community Primary SchoolAcademy930 m350Good 202480Compare
Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England0.6 miles324No overall grade 202586Compare
St Benet's RC Primary School and NurseryAcademy0.9 miles69Report card 20262Compare
Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy2.2 miles41Good 202473Compare
Ringsfield Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.3 miles118Good 202126Compare
Barnby and North Cove Community Primary SchoolAcademy2.4 miles91Report card 202649Compare
Glebeland Community Primary SchoolAcademy3.7 miles20Not inspected23Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Beccles Primary Academy with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats34%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 18 is 4 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 22 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 37. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.14
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 24 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.05
DfE progress measure; 24 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.19
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.13
2024/25; 134 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 24 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Beccles Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Beccles Primary Academy scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 34% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 37, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Beccles Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Beccles Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 18 May 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Beccles Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 50% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Beccles Primary Academy have?

148 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 35% full.

Is Beccles Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 179 places were empty in 2024/25 (57% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Beccles Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 92.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Beccles Primary Academy?

The average class had 23.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 17% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Ellough Road, Beccles, NR34 7AB
Telephone
01502 713281
Website
www.becclesacademy.org
Headteacher
Mr Simon Wood
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
REAch2 Academy Trust (65 schools)
Local authority
Suffolk
Ward
Beccles & Worlingham
Constituency
Lowestoft
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2015 (new provision)
URN
142017 · LAESTAB 9352078 · UKPRN 10049650
Formerly
Crowfoot Community Primary School

Where these figures come from