Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School, Sudbury
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sudbury, part of The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024. It was 31% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School in detail
Getting a place at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 7 families put Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 16 named it as one of their preferences, for 8 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School are Clare Community Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 78% reading, 59% maths); Cavendish Church of England Primary School (2.7 miles); St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Great Yeldham (3.1 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths); and Ridgewell Church of England Primary School (3.4 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths).
Clare Community Primary SchoolCavendish Church of England Primary SchoolSt Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Great YeldhamRidgewell Church of England Primary School
The trust
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School is one of 21 schools run by The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 21 schools in The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust
Who goes there
6.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 17 pupils (37%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 7 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Green (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, public order offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
6.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
11.5
Avg class size
11.5
Infant (KS1)
11.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School.
- Little Oaks Wrap Around Care at Belchamp St. Paul SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
31%
Available places
33 pupils
105 places
72 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sudbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sudbury
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
37.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
46
Total Pupils
28
Boys
18
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
9.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,757
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£10,173
Per pupil
£388k
Total funding
£3k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
14.3%
Persistent absence
35
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School
What is Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024.
What is the catchment area for Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 31% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School average 11.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School has around 46 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Little Oaks Wrap Around Care at Belchamp St. Paul School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School?
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School is at Vicarage Road, Belchamp St Paul, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 7BP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)