School Chooser

Coldfair Green Community Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy160 pupilsSaxmundhamSuffolk
School Chooser Score
16
Below
similar schools
Likely range 6 to 40, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 9% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1142%England 63%
Attendance93.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families14%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull160 pupils, 140 places
Pupils per teacher22.2School workforce census

Coldfair Green Community Primary School is a converter academy in Saxmundham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 160 pupils, 20 more than it has places for. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 16 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 9% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Judith Avenue, Knodishall, Saxmundham, IP17 1UY01728 830649coldfairgreenprimaryschool.co.ukMiss Louise Smith headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 June 2023, 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”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

12 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.

Reached the expected level at 1142%
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 score100.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 38%38%20172018: 75%75%20182019: 40%40%20192023: 47%47%20232024: 29%29%20242025: 42%42%2025
Since 2017: +4%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†SuffolkEngland
Pupils tested122115202013
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths42%29%47%40%75%38%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%7%0%10%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score100.0104.0107.0102.0108.0101.0105.2105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.098.0102.0100.0106.096.0103.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0103.0103.0104.0107.0101.0103.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard50%81%80%55%90%62%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard50%33%67%55%75%38%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)42%62%60%70%90%92%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.9-2.7+1.6-2.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.3-5.5+0.0-9.5

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 Coldfair Green Community Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2019. 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.

Full149 pupils for 140 places, 2024/25
106% full

The school is full, with 9 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 roll160Census January 2026
Places140114% full
Pupils from low-income families14%14% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%11 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.05 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)14%£34,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls71 / 89
White British pupils93%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 21.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (6), emotional and mental health (5), language and communications needs (4), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll160148141141141143
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals14%14%14%16%15%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%5%2%1%4%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%13%12%10%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%2%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils14.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.2%5.2%8.0%8.5%3.5%4.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%3.6%5.1%6.5%2.5%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%1.6%2.9%2.0%1.1%1.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.7%12.8%32.3%29.4%10.0%7.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate14.95.711.41.40.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00100

† These attendance figures are for Coldfair Green Community Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2019. 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.

Teachers7.2full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher22.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,597
Teachers who left in the year27%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.62024/25

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£6,101England £7,128. Total £903k
Income per pupil£6,378England £7,587. Total £944k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,980England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £137k, £923 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£41kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,101spent 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 m1212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate47 per 1,000 people49% lower than the England average
Typical house price£287,500East Suffolk
Nearest bus stop50 mPrimary School, 3 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
Leiston Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles383No overall grade 202513Compare
Snape Primary SchoolAcademy2.9 miles103Not inspectedCompare
Aldeburgh Primary SchoolAcademy3.2 miles78Good 202019Compare
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles77Not inspectedCompare
Saxmundham Primary SchoolAcademy3.9 miles252Good 202441Compare
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England3.9 miles166Good 202245Compare
Middleton Community Primary SchoolAcademy4.4 miles16Good 201937Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Coldfair Green Community Primary School 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.

Beats9%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 16 is 34 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 50 · highest 92100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Coldfair Green Community Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Holton St Peter Community Primary SchoolAcademy10.8 miles141Report card 202628Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 16 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 16% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 40. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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
-0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.05
DfE progress measure; 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.13
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 121 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.20
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 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 Coldfair Green Community Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Coldfair Green Community Primary School scores 16 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 9% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 40, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Coldfair Green Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Coldfair Green Community Primary School good at its last full inspection on 20 June 2023.

How good are Coldfair Green Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 42% 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 Coldfair Green Community Primary School have?

160 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 140 places, so it is 114% full.

Is Coldfair Green Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 9 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Coldfair Green Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Coldfair Green Community Primary School?

The average class had 23.0 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
Judith Avenue, Knodishall, Saxmundham, IP17 1UY
Telephone
01728 830649
Website
www.coldfairgreenprimaryschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Miss Louise Smith
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Evolution Academy Trust (12 schools)
Local authority
Suffolk
Ward
Aldeburgh & Leiston
Constituency
Suffolk Coastal
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2019 (academy converter)
URN
146875 · LAESTAB 9352136 · UKPRN 10082970
Formerly
Coldfair Green Community Primary School

Where these figures come from