Great Heath Academy

About Great Heath Academy

Great Heath Academy, a mixed state primary in West Suffolk, was rated Good across every category in its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024, a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2018 where early years provision had been graded as Requires Improvement. The school’s most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which sits at 43%. That figure is notably below the Suffolk local authority average of 58%, placing the school 179th out of 253 primaries in the county. In the West Suffolk district specifically, it ranks 38th out of 44 schools, putting it in the bottom half locally. While the combined figure is modest, individual subject results tell a more nuanced story: 72% of pupils met the expected standard in reading and 60% did so in writing and maths, with average scaled scores of 103 in reading and 102 in maths.

The gap between reading and maths attainment is worth noting. Only 12% of pupils achieved the higher standard in maths, compared with 22% in reading, and just 2% reached the higher benchmark across all three subjects. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is unclear how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 12% of primaries on the combined expected standard metric, and in the bottom 16% within the East of England region. Ofsted’s breakdown, however, paints a picture of a school that is solid across the board: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all received a Good rating. The school has a nursery provision for children aged three and above, and serves a cohort where 20.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average.

Great Heath Academy is oversubscribed: for 54 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 88 applications, with all 54 first-preference families offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.63. The school operates from a site that includes a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, music rooms, art studios, an ICT suite, a sensory room and a chapel. It runs a Forest School programme and offers clubs including art, coding, eco club and book club, plus sports such as football, cricket, swimming and athletics. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate and severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families who value a stable Good rating and a wide range of facilities, but who are realistic about academic outcomes that sit below the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Great Heath Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents