Classpot

Bury St Edmunds County High School

West Suffolk, IP32 6RFSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Mar 2022
Progress 8
-0.09
Below average
−20+2
Competition
0.8×
Not oversubscribed
76 1st-choice / 98 places
Ranking
#1,749
of 3,141 nationally

About Bury St Edmunds County High School

Bury St Edmunds County High School is a mixed state secondary for 11 to 16 year olds in the Suffolk local authority, serving the West Suffolk area. It sits third out of twelve schools of its type in the West Suffolk district, placing it in the top quarter locally. The top-performing peers in the area are Debenham High School, Stradbroke High School, and Northgate High School, all of which rank higher on Progress 8. Across the wider Suffolk LA, the school ranks 15th out of 48 similar schools. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated the school Good overall, a significant improvement from its previous Inadequate rating in 2019. That turnaround reflects stronger leadership and management, which were also rated Good, though behaviour and attitudes still require improvement. The school has a capacity of 1,020 but currently houses 739 pupils, and it is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 228 applications for 98 places, with 76 first-preference offers made.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressBeetons Way, Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk, IP32 6RF
HeadteacherSally Kennedy
Local AuthoritySuffolk
Number of Pupils739
Free School Meals (FSM)24.1%
School Capacity739 / 1,020 (72% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

15 Mar 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 15 May 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

12
Sixth Form CentreTennis CourtsLibrarySwimming PoolDining HallSports HallAstro TurfScience LabsArt StudiosPlaying FieldsGymnasiumChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

15

Sports

HockeyCricketTennisRugbyBadmintonBasketballRowingNetball

Clubs & Activities

ChessDebateDramaEco ClubBook ClubScience ClubCoding

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:55 – 15:45

Source: countyhigh.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Bury St Edmunds County High School

Bury St Edmunds County High School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.