School Chooser

Finborough School

Independent · ages 2-19MixedIndependent716 pupilsSixth formNurseryStowmarketSuffolk
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths1%England 46%
PlacesFull716 pupils, 700 places
Average A level gradeC-2024/25
Pupils on roll716Census January 2024

Finborough School is an independent school in Stowmarket for boys and girls aged 2 to 19. It has 716 pupils, 16 more than it has places for.

The Hall, Great Finborough, Stowmarket, IP14 3EF01449 773600finboroughschool.co.ukMr Steven Clark headteacherAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

82 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score37.5
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths1%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths1%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 46.146.120182019: 44.244.220192022: 38.838.820222023: 43.443.420232024: 37.037.020242025: 37.537.52025
Since 2018: -8.6
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018SuffolkEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11826569464226
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 837.537.043.438.844.246.143.446.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths1%0%3%0%33%31%40%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths1%0%3%0%67%73%62%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.892.933.593.204.074.383.764.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry1%0%1%0%38%46%28%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

History77%grades 9 to 5, England 52%
Music84%grades 9 to 5, England 61%
Physical Education78%grades 9 to 5, England 56%
Geography67%grades 9 to 5, England 51%

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Biology (67% here, 82% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
65%England 54%
71%England 58%
Biology51 entries
67%England 82%
Business42 entries
60%England 51%
78%England 56%
41%England 36%
Art and Design36 entries
69%England 58%
Geography33 entries
67%England 51%
Physics29 entries
86%England 82%
Chemistry28 entries
89%England 81%
History22 entries
77%England 52%
Music19 entries
84%England 61%
Drama18 entries
61%England 60%
Spanish14 entries
71%England 54%
Social Studies11 entries
82%England 54%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language7818%65%83%54%
English Literature6226%71%87%58%
Biology5133%67%75%82%
Business4226%60%76%51%
Physical Education4144%78%85%56%
Combined Science373%41%73%36%
Art and Design3614%69%86%58%
Geography3333%67%88%51%
Physics2938%86%93%82%
Chemistry2839%89%96%81%
History2255%77%91%52%
Music1932%84%90%61%
Drama186%61%78%60%
Spanish1414%71%71%54%
Social Studies1155%82%91%54%
Computer Science714%43%57%56%
French633%67%83%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

56 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC-27.4 points per entry
A level progress-0.16Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better12%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students563045234848
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry27.4424.9326.9732.8623.3324.59
Average A level gradeC-D+C-C+D+D+
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS29.0725.1027.9033.0022.4422.83
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects12%6%7%20%7%5%
A level progressA level value added-0.16-0.33-0.22-0.65
Applied general courses: points per entry19.4328.407.78

A level subjects

9 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsPsychology16Business Studies15Mathematics12Economics11Biology10Physical Education / Sports Studies10Physics8Chemistry7English Literature5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Psychology16 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
31%England 46%
Business Studies15 entries · 0% A* or A · 93% passed
13%England 47%
Mathematics12 entries · 33% A* or A · 92% passed
42%England 60%
Economics11 entries · 0% A* or A · 91% passed
27%England 57%
Biology10 entries · 10% A* or A · 100% passed
20%England 49%
Physical Education / Sports Studies10 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
40%England 41%
Physics8 entries · 25% A* or A · 88% passed
50%England 51%
Chemistry7 entries · 29% A* or A · 100% passed
57%England 53%
English Literature5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 52%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

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. None of the gaps is 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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
34.041.4
Gap 7.4England 3.0
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.

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 the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll716Census January 2024
Places700102% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support15%104 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%20 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls402 / 314
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll716680659680594510
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support22%26%0%19%20%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%0%1%1%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 44 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training75%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training75%87%94%
Education43%70%53%
Apprenticeship2%0%6%
Work30%17%35%
Not in education, work or training7%4%0%

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate33 per 1,000 people64% lower than the England average
Typical house price£315,472Mid Suffolk
Nearest bus stop430 mPost Office, 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England580 m108Good 202233Compare
OA - SuffolkAcademy alternative provision sponsor led1.4 miles2Good 2023Compare
Stowmarket High SchoolAcademy1.5 miles901No overall grade 202549Compare
Wood Ley Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles307Report card 202637Compare
Grace Cook Primary SchoolFree school1.7 miles203No overall grade 202595Compare
Abbot's Hall Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles366Not inspected58Compare
Chilton Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles133Not inspected25Compare
Pushforward Secondary SchoolIndependent2.1 milesNot inspectedCompare

Questions parents ask

Is Finborough School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Finborough School yet.

How good are Finborough School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 1% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 37.5, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Finborough School have?

716 pupils aged 2 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 700 places, so it is 102% full.

Does Finborough School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 9 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

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

Contact and details

Address
The Hall, Great Finborough, Stowmarket, IP14 3EF
Telephone
01449 773600
Website
www.finboroughschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Steven Clark
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 2-19, with nursery, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Suffolk
Ward
Onehouse
Constituency
Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 1978
URN
124892 · LAESTAB 9356062 · UKPRN 10008235

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from