Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Saxmundham
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Saxmundham, part of All Saints Schools Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 6 schools in Saxmundham with published results, and 11,322nd of 14,452 across England. It was 72% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Suffolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School in detail
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We both feel privileged to be leading this school. It is an exciting time to be at Benhall with lots of exciting new initiatives in place and talented new staff joining our team."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance and art.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 78% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 50% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 4 families put Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 15 named it as one of their preferences, for 4 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School are Saxmundham Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 70% reading, 77% maths); Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 81% reading, 85% maths); Snape Primary School (2 miles, 43% reading, 43% maths); and Coldfair Green Community Primary School (3.3 miles, Good, 50% reading, 50% maths).
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Saxmundham Primary SchoolKelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolSnape Primary SchoolColdfair Green Community Primary School
The trust
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School is one of 16 schools run by All Saints Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (18.2%) received SEN support and 11 (14.3%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance2, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (outside), 10 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 6.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2023. Before that, as Benhall St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (URN 124721), it was rated Good in May 2013.
At a Glance
39.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 50% to 56% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 50% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 50% to 56% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.3
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
22.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Sports Day 2026
24 Jun 2026
SIAMS Report
12 May 2026
Gold School Games Mark
8 May 2026
TCS Mini London Marathon
25 Apr 2026
School Farm & Country Fair
19 Apr 2026
Poetry By Heart 2026
31 Mar 2026
From Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Suffolk's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School is in Suffolk; for families living there:
Apply to Suffolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 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 Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
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What the report includes for Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School:
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- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School for 2024 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Suffolk 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
72%
Available places
76 pupils
105 places
29 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Saxmundham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Saxmundham
Across Suffolk council
Places available
8,806
Applications
6,492
Got 1st preference
94.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Suffolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
32.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
77
Total Pupils
48
Boys
29
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
11.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,090
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,653
Per pupil
£660k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
10.8%
Persistent absence
65
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 56% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2023. Before that, as Benhall St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (URN 124721), it was rated Good in May 2013.
What is the catchment area for Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 72% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School average 19.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School has around 77 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
7.2% of sessions were missed at Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 10.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Benhall St Mary's 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.
How many road collisions happen near Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School is at School Lane, Benhall, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 1HE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)