Elveden Church of England Primary Academy

About Elveden Church of England Primary Academy

Elveden Church of England Primary Academy is a small village school that clearly commands strong local loyalty. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 37 applications for just 15 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.47, meaning nearly two and a half families applied for every spot. Of those, 15 put it as their first preference, and 10 first-preference offers were made. That level of demand is a powerful signal from parents, and it aligns with the school’s most recent Ofsted report from December 2023, which rated it Outstanding overall. The report awarded top marks across the board — quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all received the highest grade. The only area rated Good was early years provision, which is still a strong result. With just 101 pupils on roll and a full capacity, the school feels intentionally small, and the headteacher, Zoe Maguire, leads a setting where every child is known.

Academically, Elveden’s Key Stage 2 results tell a nuanced story. In the 2023/24 academic year, 60% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is slightly above the Suffolk local authority average of 58%. However, the school’s ranking within West Suffolk places it 24th out of 44 primary schools, putting it in the bottom half locally, and 117th out of 253 similar schools across the wider authority. The standout subject is reading, where 93% of pupils met the expected standard and 13% achieved a higher score. Writing and maths both saw 80% of pupils at the expected level, with maths producing a higher average score of 106. The proportion reaching the higher standard across all three subjects was 7%, which is modest. There is no progress score data available, so it is hard to gauge how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw attainment figures show solid foundations, particularly in reading.

The school offers a broad set of facilities for its size, including a forest school, music rooms, a chapel, playing fields and an ICT suite. Sports provision covers swimming, cricket, netball and athletics, while clubs include drama, science club, film club and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. With 11.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is slightly below the national average for disadvantage. Elveden is a Church of England school, so it will suit families who value a faith-based setting within a tight-knit rural community. The high oversubscription ratio means that applying early and listing it as a first preference is essential for any family considering it as an option.

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