School Chooser

OA - Suffolk

Pupil referral unit / alternative provision · ages 7-16MixedAcademy alternative provision sponsor led2 pupilsStowmarketSuffolk
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2023
Pupils from low-income families50%Far more than most schools
Places52 spare2 pupils, 54 places
Pupils per teacher3.0School workforce census
Pupils on roll2Census January 2026

OA - Suffolk is an academy alternative provision sponsor led in Stowmarket for boys and girls aged 7 to 16. It has 2 pupils and room for 54. About 50 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Chilton Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1SZ01449 613931apsuffolk.oliveacademies.org.ukMs Kelly Emms headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 January 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
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

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 roll2Census January 2026
Places544% full
Pupils from low-income families50%50% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%2 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)0%£0 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls0 / 2
White British pupils100%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll2105113942
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals50%60%80%82%51%38%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%5%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support60%40%9%26%21%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans40%60%91%74%79%

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 9 pupils who left in 2021/22 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training44%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training44%38%
Education33%25%
Apprenticeship11%0%
Work0%13%
Not in education, work or training22%50%

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.1full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher3.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers46%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£39,270
Teachers who left in the year14%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.62024/25

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£32,792England £7,128. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£32,667England £7,587. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£11,958England £3,405
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £176k, £3,674 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£6,000it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£32,792spent 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 m10912 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 stop70 mStow Lodge, 13 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
Stowmarket High SchoolAcademy300 m901No overall grade 202549Compare
Wood Ley Community Primary SchoolCouncil340 m307Report card 202637Compare
Grace Cook Primary SchoolFree school850 m203No overall grade 202595Compare
Chilton Community Primary SchoolAcademy920 m133Not inspected25Compare
Pushforward Secondary SchoolIndependent0.8 milesNot inspectedCompare
Abbot's Hall Community Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles366Not inspected58Compare
Finborough SchoolIndependent1.4 miles716Not inspectedCompare
Combs Ford Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles299No overall grade 20256Compare

Questions parents ask

Is OA - Suffolk a good school?

OA - Suffolk doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in January 2023.

What is OA - Suffolk's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated OA - Suffolk good at its last full inspection on 17 January 2023.

How many pupils does OA - Suffolk have?

2 pupils aged 7 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 54 places, so it is 4% full.

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

Contact and details

Address
Chilton Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1SZ
Telephone
01449 613931
Website
apsuffolk.oliveacademies.org.uk
Headteacher
Ms Kelly Emms
Type of school
Academy alternative provision sponsor led (Academy alternative provision sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Pupil referral unit / alternative provision, ages 7-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Olive Academies (6 schools)
Local authority
Suffolk
Ward
Chilton
Constituency
Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 June 2017 (new provision)
URN
142820 · LAESTAB 9351114 · UKPRN 10056540
Formerly
Kingsfield Centre

Where these figures come from