St Benet's Catholic Primary School

About St Benet's Catholic Primary School

St Benet's Catholic Primary School sits well below the Suffolk local authority average for Key Stage 2 outcomes, with just 36% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined against an LA average of 58%. That 22-point gap is significant, and it places the school in the bottom 50 nationally for this metric. However, the picture is more nuanced than a single headline figure suggests. In reading, 64% of pupils met the expected standard and the average score was 104, which is respectable. The real drag comes from maths, where only 43% reached the expected level and the average score was 99. The school's ranking within East Suffolk is 66th out of 72 primary schools, putting it in the bottom tier locally. For a small Roman Catholic primary with just 73 pupils on roll, these results suggest a school that is struggling to match the wider county's performance, particularly in mathematics.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2018. Inspectors awarded Good across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This suggests that while academic outcomes are below average, the school is providing a solid educational experience in other respects. The Progress 8 data is not available for this school, so it is difficult to say whether pupils are making the expected progress from their starting points. At Key Stage 2, 7% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and 14% reached that higher bar in each individual subject. With 32.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, which may partly explain the lower attainment figures.

St Benet's is a small school with a capacity of 119 but currently only 73 pupils, yet it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 21 applications for just 5 places. That oversubscription ratio of 4.2 to 1 suggests strong local demand despite the middling results. The school offers a range of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, chapel, ICT suite and art studios, plus clubs like choir, gardening and drama. Sports include football, swimming, netball and gymnastics. The school has identified SEND provisions for dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. For families who prioritise a faith-based environment and a small, community feel over top-tier academic results, St Benet's may be a good fit, though those seeking higher attainment might look to nearby Worlingham Church of England Primary, which is rated Outstanding and sits just 2.5 km away.

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