Classpot

St Benedict's Catholic School

West Suffolk, IP32 6RHSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Jun 2025
Progress 8
+0.17
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.4×
Oversubscribed
232 1st-choice / 160 places
Ranking
#1,149
of 3,141 nationally

About St Benedict's Catholic School

St Benedict's Catholic School sits in West Suffolk, part of the Suffolk local authority, and ranks 1st out of 12 secondary schools in that immediate area based on Progress 8 scores. That puts it ahead of its nearest named peers in the local context, which include Debenham High School, Stradbroke High School and Northgate High School. The school is a state-funded Roman Catholic secondary for mixed pupils aged 11 to 18, with a current roll of 976 against a capacity of 852, meaning it is genuinely oversubscribed. In the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 408 applications for 160 places, with 232 of those as first preferences and 157 offers made to first-preference applicants — an oversubscription ratio of 2.55. The headteacher is Imogen Senior, and the school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good and sixth-form provision rated Outstanding. That sixth-form rating is a notable strength, and the school has held a Good rating since its previous graded inspection in 2016, when it was upgraded from Requires Improvement.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressBeetons Way, Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk, IP32 6RH
HeadteacherImogen Senior
Local AuthoritySuffolk
Number of Pupils976
Free School Meals (FSM)12.4%
School Capacity976 / 852 (115% full)
Sixth FormYes

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

4 Jun 2025
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Outstanding

Latest monitoring visit (4 Jun 2025): Standards maintained

Source: Ofsted, 9 Nov 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
Swimming PoolAstro TurfTennis CourtsSports HallPlaying FieldsMusic RoomsChapelSixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

19

Sports

AthleticsRowingBadmintonDanceSwimmingTennisFootballHockeyGymnastics

Clubs & Activities

GardeningNewspaperChoirCodingScience ClubYoung EnterpriseModel United NationsBook ClubDuke of EdinburghDebate

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyMulti-SensoryOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Benedict's Catholic School

St Benedict's Catholic School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.