Phoenix St Peter Academy

About Phoenix St Peter Academy

Phoenix St Peter Academy is a small primary school in East Suffolk with a current roll of 107 pupils against a capacity of 300, meaning it is operating at just over a third of its potential size. The school serves a community with high levels of disadvantage: 50.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average and likely among the highest in the local authority. Despite this, demand for places is strong. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 20 applications for just 12 places, with all 12 first-preference offers taken up, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.67. This suggests that local families are actively choosing the school, even though it has room to grow. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and caters for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. Headteacher Matthew Jordan leads a team that has clearly made an impression on parents: 78% of respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, and 94% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

Academically, the school has shown solid progress from a low starting point. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024, the school was rated Good overall, with leadership and management judged Outstanding. This marks a significant improvement from the previous inspection in June 2022, when it was rated Requires Improvement across most categories. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, 64% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, above the Suffolk local authority average of 58%. The school’s ranking in East Suffolk places it 26th out of 72 primary schools, putting it in the top 50% nationally. Average scores in reading (104) and maths (105) are in line with or slightly above national expectations. However, the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is just 12%, and progress scores are not available in the data. The school’s strongest subject at expected level is maths at 84%, while writing is the weakest at 76%.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sensory room, forest school, art studios, music rooms and a chapel, plus an outdoor playground and gymnasium. Sports provision covers cricket, tennis, dance, netball and football, and clubs include art, gardening and film club. SEND support is a notable feature, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, moderate and severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View data shows that 53% of respondents strongly agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, though 18% strongly disagreed, suggesting some mixed experiences. With 46% of respondents indicating their child has SEND, this is clearly a significant part of the school’s intake. Phoenix St Peter Academy is best suited to families in the local area who value a small, inclusive school with strong leadership and a clear focus on improvement, particularly those whose children may benefit from additional support. The nearest outstanding-rated primary school is Woods Loke Primary School, 2.5 km away.

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