Bury St Edmunds County High School, Bury St Edmunds

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Bury St Edmunds County High School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The personal development and wellbeing offer has a positive impact on the culture of the school."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils make steady progress through the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have a secure understanding of attendance across the school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that the curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established effective systems to identify pupils' needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and those with responsibility for governance have a secure understanding of the school's context."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to support pupils to attend regularly, particularly those who are disadvantaged and who have special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders should embed the consistency of adaptive teaching to further raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils".

In its own words: "It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself as the Headteacher of Bury St Edmunds County High School. It is an absolute privilege to be entrusted with the job of leading such an exceptional school."

In 2026, pupils at Bury St Edmunds County High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.

44% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.

That is down from 49.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.09: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 34.5, against 48.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and French.

For September 2026 entry, 67 families put Bury St Edmunds County High School as their first choice and 232 named it as one of their preferences, for 98 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Bury St Edmunds County High School are St Benedict's Catholic School (0.1 miles, Attainment 8 51.9); King Edward VI CEVC School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.4); Learning Support, Western Area Education Office (1.4 miles); and Sybil Andrews Academy (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.6).

Bury St Edmunds County High School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

Bury St Edmunds County High School is one of 40 schools run by Unity Schools Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.3 in 2024/25.

Of the 186 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 57% to a further education college and 2% into work.

Of the 17 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 77% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 18% into work. 24% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

11.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%) and Mixed (5%).

The nearest railway station is Entrance, about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Benedicts Catholic School (outside), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 141 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Bury St Edmunds County High School issued 112 suspensions, 15.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Bury St Edmunds County High School are Tollgate Primary School (0.3 miles), St Edmundsbury CofE Primary Academy (0.5 miles), Howard Community Academy (0.5 miles) and Sexton's Manor Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.