Long Melford Church of England Primary School

About Long Melford Church of England Primary School

Long Melford Church of England Primary School was rated Good in its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, a significant improvement from its previous overall rating of Inadequate in 2015. The school’s most recent ungraded inspection in December 2024 confirmed that standards are being maintained, with leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness all judged Good. On the most informative exam metric available, 61% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits just above the Suffolk local authority average of 58%, placing the school in the middle of the pack locally. Within Babergh, it ranks 20th out of 34 primary schools on this measure, and nationally it sits around the 55th percentile. The school’s average scaled scores in reading (107) and maths (105) are both above the national benchmark of 100, suggesting solid foundations in the core subjects.

Looking more closely at the breakdown, reading is a particular strength: 89% of pupils reached the expected standard, and 29% achieved the higher standard. In writing, 71% met expectations and 14% reached the higher threshold, while in maths 68% hit the expected mark and 25% achieved the higher standard. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard across all three subjects combined was 7%, which is in line with typical national figures for a school of this profile. The school has a relatively high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 21%, so these results represent solid progress for the cohort. Ofsted’s graded inspection in 2019 noted Good behaviour and attitudes, and the parent view data from 2024/25 backs that up: 91% of the 55 respondents would recommend the school, and 96% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 39 applications for 22 places and 21 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.77. It offers a nursery provision for younger children and a range of facilities including a sports hall, music rooms, ICT suite, forest school and chapel. Clubs include art, book club, gardening and coding, while sports on offer are netball, rounders, swimming, dance and gymnastics. The school lists a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, visual impairment and physical disability. For families in the Babergh area looking for a Church of England primary that has turned around its Ofsted rating and now delivers above-average core results with strong parental satisfaction, Long Melford is a solid, well-subscribed option.

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