Leiston Primary School

About Leiston Primary School

Of the 32 parents who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025, 84% said they would recommend Leiston Primary School to other families. That's a strong signal of satisfaction, and it's backed up by the fact that the school is genuinely popular: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 48 applications for 41 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.17. All 40 first-preference applicants were offered a place, so if you live nearby and put it first, you have a very good chance of getting in. Parents were particularly positive about communication – 97% agreed or strongly agreed that the school makes them aware of what their child will learn, and 91% felt the same about being kept up to date on their child's progress. The school also scored well on happiness and safety, with 87% of parents agreeing their child is happy and 90% agreeing they feel safe.

Academically, the picture is more mixed. Leiston's most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2025 rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, though this was a graded inspection and the overall effectiveness was not formally judged. The quality of education was rated Requires Improvement, but every other area – early years provision, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management – was rated Good. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 37% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is well below the Suffolk local authority average of 58%. The school ranks 194th out of 253 primary schools in the county on this measure, placing it in the bottom half nationally. However, average scores in reading (101) and maths (100) are close to the national benchmark of 100, and 66% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, which is a relative strength.

Leiston is a three-form entry primary with a nursery, catering for children from age 3 to 11. It has a broad range of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, ICT suite and library, plus a chapel on site. Sports provision is strong, with swimming, tennis, gymnastics and athletics among the options, and there are clubs for coding, gardening and drama. The school supports a wide range of special educational needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 37.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, it serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. This is a school where parents feel well informed and involved, and where the early years and personal development are rated Good, but where academic outcomes at the end of primary are an area the school is working to improve.

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