Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Bures
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bures. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 188th-highest of the 225 schools in Suffolk with published results, and 12,528th of 14,452 across England. It was 89% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 57% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 71% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 21 families put Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 40 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 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 Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Pebmarsh (3.3 miles, Good, 80% reading, 80% maths); Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School (3.6 miles, 81% reading, 75% maths); Nayland Primary School (3.9 miles, Good, 86% reading, 90% maths); and Fordham All Saints CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School (3.9 miles, 93% reading, 73% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School PebmarshChappel CofE Controlled Primary SchoolNayland Primary SchoolFordham All Saints CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Who goes there
11.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 32 pupils (19.9%) received SEN support and 3 (1.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bures Rail Station, about 570 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tawneys Ride (o/s 15), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 13 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft, anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 3.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.8%
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 declined from 82% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 71% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 79% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.0
Avg class size
20.7
Infant (KS1)
24.8
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Term dates
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Suffolk. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for 2014 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
89%
Available places
186 pupils
210 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bures
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bures
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
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
21.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
161
Total Pupils
80
Boys
81
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
14.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,373
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,152
Per pupil
£1075k
Total funding
£42k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
5.5%
Persistent absence
163
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 57% did so in maths.
What is Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2007 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 23 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 161 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 5.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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.
What are Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's term dates?
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Suffolk. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Nayland Road, Bures, Suffolk, CO8 5BX.
Sources: Suffolk term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)