Bury St Edmunds County High School, Bury St Edmunds
Data last updated 12 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This school excels at making every pupil feel valued and heard, with excellent support for personal development and wellbeing. Achievement is strong across the board, particularly in English and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils are closing the gap with their peers. The wide range of enrichment activities helps all pupils, including those with barriers to learning, develop confidence, leadership skills and a real sense of belonging.
Key Strengths
- Excellent personal development and wellbeing programme with mature discussions about healthy relationships and mental health
- Strong achievement in English and mathematics, with disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND making good progress
- Wide range of enriching extra-curricular activities and clubs that boost pupil confidence and leadership skills
- Calm, orderly environment with consistent behaviour expectations and effective rewards system
- Effective careers guidance that prepares pupils well for their next steps
Areas for Improvement
- Attendance for disadvantaged pupils remains below national averages despite improvements
- Some teachers do not identify pupil misconceptions quickly enough to reshape teaching effectively
- Occasional gaps in implementing teaching adaptations to remove barriers to learning for pupils with additional needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Japanese language study, science and technology accreditations, choir, drawing club, sports clubs, chess club, theatre visits, international travel, community volunteering, school musical, leadership roles (prefect, student council, form representative)
Bury St Edmunds County High School is a friendly and inclusive school where pupils enjoy a strong sense of community and feel safe and valued. The school has maintained quality provision during significant change and continues to improve standards across the board.
At a Glance
26.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
26.1
Avg class size
24
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
64%
Available places
657 pupils
1,020 capacity
363 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Bury St Edmunds
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bury St Edmunds
Admissions Demand - Suffolk
Places available
8,496
Applications
7,401
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
97.4%
Secondary admissions across Suffolk (2025/26)
Inspection History(110)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.45085%
Overall absence
27.16688%
Persistent absence
773
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Bury St Edmunds County High School
Tollgate Primary School
St Edmundsbury CofE Primary Academy
Howard Community Academy
Sexton's Manor Primary School
Westgate Community Primary School and Nursery
Guildhall Feoffment Community Primary School
St Edmund's Catholic Primary School
Sebert Wood Community Primary School
Hardwick Primary School
Nearby Schools
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