Elm Tree Primary School

About Elm Tree Primary School

Elm Tree Primary School sits within the Suffolk local authority and is one of the stronger performers among primary schools in the East Suffolk area. In the most recent local rankings, it placed 3rd out of 72 schools, placing it firmly in the top 5% of its peers. The school’s closest competitors at the top of the table include Stratford St Mary Primary School, Somerleyton Primary School, and Wenhaston Primary School, all of which scored slightly higher on the same ranking metric. For families comparing options, Elm Tree is a clear standout in its immediate neighbourhood. The school is a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 4 to 11, with no religious character and no nursery or sixth form provision. It currently has 271 pupils on roll, well below its capacity of 420, and is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 78 applications for 43 places, with all first-preference families offered a spot.

Academically, Elm Tree delivers strong results at Key Stage 2, particularly when set against the local authority average. In the 2023/24 assessments, 86% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with a Suffolk average of 58%. That is a significant gap and explains the school’s high ranking. The proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was 8%, while in reading alone 38% achieved the higher mark, and 30% did so in maths. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 106 in maths, both above the national benchmark of 100. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2022, rated it Good overall, with behaviour and attitudes judged Outstanding. This was an improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Requires Improvement. Leadership and management, the quality of education, early years provision, and personal development were all rated Good.

The school offers a broad range of facilities and activities that give a sense of its character. There is a Forest School, a sensory room, music rooms, a gymnasium, and a chapel on site. Sports include tennis, athletics, cricket, dance, cross country, and rounders, while clubs cover gardening, drama, book club, science club, and film club. For children with additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 29.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. Its oversubscription ratio of 1.81 suggests strong local demand, and the fact that all first-preference families secured a place in the most recent round is reassuring for applicants. Elm Tree is a good fit for families who want a well-regarded, inclusive primary with solid academic outcomes and a wide extracurricular offer, all within a supportive, improving school environment.

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