Helmingham Primary School and Nursery
similar schools
Helmingham Primary School and Nursery is a sponsored academy in Stowmarket for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 30 pupils and room for 90. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 0 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in April 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
School Road, Helmingham, Stowmarket, IP14 6EX01473 890267helminghamprimaryschool.org.ukMrs Stephanie Powley headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 21 April 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 14 June 2023 | Academy First Section 5 | Requires improvement |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
2 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.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | 2016† | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 2 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 12 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | – | 30% | 40% | 38% | 50% | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | – | 0% | 20% | 0% | 8% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | – | 104.0 | 105.0 | 100.0 | 104.0 | 105.2 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | – | 102.0 | 103.0 | 99.0 | 104.0 | 103.7 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | – | 102.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 | 103.8 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | – | 80% | 73% | 38% | 67% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | – | 60% | 47% | 50% | 67% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | – | 30% | 60% | 63% | 50% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | +1.9 | +1.1 | -2.1 | -1.1 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | -1.6 | -0.6 | -4.0 | -1.8 | – | – |
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 Helmingham Primary School and Nursery, the school this one replaced in March 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.
55 places were empty (71% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 33% 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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Other difficulty or disability (1), Specific learning difficulty (1), language and communications needs (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 30 | 20 | 26 | 30 | 35 | 49 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 13% | 5% | 12% | 20% | 17% | 8% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 15% | 39% | 23% | 6% | 16% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 0% | 3% | 6% | 0% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 85.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 14.6% | 12.7% | 8.5% | 13.2% | 9.8% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 12.4% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 8.9% | 8.4% | – | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.3% | 2.6% | 1.6% | 4.3% | 1.4% | – | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 42.1% | 40.9% | 34.6% | 50.0% | 46.3% | 26.1% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 3.9 | 0.0 | 20.0 | 16.3 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otley Primary School | Council | 2.4 miles | 51 | No overall grade 2025 | 53 | Compare |
| Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School | Church of England | 3.1 miles | 169 | Good 2023 | 48 | Compare |
| Stonham Aspal Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 miles | 162 | Good 2023 | 32 | Compare |
| Earl Soham Community Primary School | Council | 3.7 miles | 78 | Good 2024 | 52 | Compare |
| Charsfield Church of England Primary School | Academy | 4.1 miles | 34 | Good 2023 | 70 | Compare |
| Witnesham Primary School | Council | 4.2 miles | 90 | Good 2022 | 39 | Compare |
| Bedfield Church of England Primary School | Academy | 4.8 miles | 18 | No overall grade 2024 | 37 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Helmingham Primary School and Nursery with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Helmingham Primary School and Nursery, 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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charsfield Church of England Primary School | Academy | 4.1 miles | 34 | Good 2023 | 70 | Compare |
| Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 14.4 miles | 40 | Good 2024 | 15 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 0 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 0% 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -1.20 | Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.49 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.31 | 2024/25; 19 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Helmingham Primary School and Nursery a good school?
The figures are weak. Helmingham Primary School and Nursery scores 0 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 0% 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. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Helmingham Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 21 April 2026 it rated teaching as needs attention, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as needs attention, leadership as needs attention.
How many pupils does Helmingham Primary School and Nursery have?
30 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 90 places, so it is 33% full.
Is Helmingham Primary School and Nursery oversubscribed?
Probably not. 55 places were empty in 2024/25 (71% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Helmingham Primary School and Nursery?
Pupils were in school 85.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 42% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Helmingham Primary School and Nursery?
The average class had 9.0 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
- School Road, Helmingham, Stowmarket, IP14 6EX
- Telephone
- 01473 890267
- Website
- www.helminghamprimaryschool.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Stephanie Powley
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Consortium Trust (14 schools)
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- Ward
- Stonham
- Constituency
- Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 March 2019 (new provision)
- URN
- 146961 · LAESTAB 9352228 · UKPRN 10082661
- Formerly
- Helmingham Primary School and Nursery
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.