School Chooser

Cavendish Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England52 pupilsSudburySuffolk
School Chooser Score
0
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 0 to 1
Out of 100. Better than 5% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedInadequateLast Ofsted inspection, April 2024
Reached the expected level at 1120%England 63%
Attendance95.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places53 spare52 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher13.7School workforce census

Cavendish Church of England Primary School is a sponsored academy in Sudbury for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 52 pupils and room for 105. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 1 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 5% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inadequate, back in 2024.

The Green, Sudbury, CO10 8BA01787 280279cavendish.suffolk.sch.uk/websiteMrs Sam Goulding headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 April 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Inadequate overall.

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

Ofsted has serious worries about this school. It is in special measures.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
7 December 2022UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

10 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way. These are the results of Cavendish Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced.

Reached the expected level at 1120%
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 score97.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 78%78%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 23%23%20232024: 42%42%20242025: 20%20%2025
Since 2017: -58%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025†2024†2023†2019†2018†2017†SuffolkEngland
Pupils tested1012139109
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths20%42%23%67%80%78%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%30%11%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0105.0109.0107.0110.0107.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score97.0103.0106.0106.0107.0107.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0105.0109.0107.0107.0109.0103.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard80%83%92%89%100%89%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard30%75%85%89%80%78%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)50%50%23%89%90%100%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.0+0.2+3.8+1.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.7-1.0+1.6+1.3
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged78%

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.

† These results are for Cavendish Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places52 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
50% full

53 places were empty (51% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

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 roll52Census January 2026
Places10550% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%10 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.33 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)12%£9,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls31 / 21
White British pupils96%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (5), language and communications needs (4), Hearing impairment (1), Physical disability (1), emotional and mental health (1), Vision impairment (1).

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Missed without permission2.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.7%5.3%6.2%5.9%2.1%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.2%4.3%5.6%5.1%1.9%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.5%1.0%0.6%0.8%0.2%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.0%13.0%17.4%16.1%1.3%4.2%12.8%
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0

† These attendance figures are for Cavendish Church of England Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.8full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher13.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,818
Vacancies0

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.

Money in reserve27%A lot put by: £61k, £1,012 per pupil
Money in against money out-£31kit spent more than it took in this year

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 m4312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate32 per 1,000 people64% lower than the England average
Typical house price£290,000West Suffolk
Nearest bus stop300 mThe Bull, 2 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
Glemsford Primary AcademyAcademy1.8 miles243Good 202383Compare
Clare Community Primary SchoolAcademy2.3 miles199Good 202029Compare
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.7 miles46Good 202472Compare
Long Melford Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles207Not inspected36Compare
Hartest Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy4.1 miles42Good 20246Compare
Hundon Community Primary SchoolCouncil4.3 miles64Good 202031Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Cavendish Church of England Primary School with the 43 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 43 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats5%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 1 is 27 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 28 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 1 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 1% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 0 to 1. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-2.00
Ofsted grade, 2.4 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.07
2024/25; 46 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 Cavendish Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Cavendish Church of England Primary School scores 1 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 5% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 0 to 1, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Cavendish Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Cavendish Church of England Primary School inadequate at its last full inspection on 17 April 2024.

How good are Cavendish Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 20% 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. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Cavendish Church of England Primary School have?

52 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 50% full.

Is Cavendish Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 53 places were empty in 2024/25 (51% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Cavendish Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Cavendish Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 17.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
The Green, Sudbury, CO10 8BA
Telephone
01787 280279
Website
www.cavendish.suffolk.sch.uk/website
Headteacher
Mrs Sam Goulding
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Multi-academy trust
The Tilian Partnership (15 schools)
Local authority
Suffolk
Ward
Clare, Hundon & Kedington
Constituency
West Suffolk
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2025 (new provision)
URN
151639 · LAESTAB 9352233 · UKPRN 10097377
Formerly
Cavendish Church of England Primary School

Where these figures come from