Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Ipswich

Good
Primary
Voluntary controlled school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.4km)Possible (~3.4km)Unlikely (~4.4km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Andrew Frolish
Pupils:273 / 315 capacity
LA:Suffolk
Phone:01473310386
Address:The Street, Capel St Mary, Ipswich, IP9 2EG
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:124749
UKPRN:10074224
Diocese:Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Constituency:South Suffolk
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school creates a caring environment where pupils thrive academically and personally. Teachers know their subjects well and use interesting approaches like working with historians and completing field work to bring learning to life. The school is highly inclusive, ensuring pupils with additional needs receive excellent support and achieve alongside their peers.

Key Strengths

  • Ambitious, well-structured curriculum that builds knowledge progressively across subjects
  • Strong reading and writing instruction that helps pupils achieve high standards
  • Highly inclusive approach where pupils with SEND thrive and access the same learning as their peers
  • Extensive opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills and community spirit
  • Staff feel valued and supported, with governors committed to their wellbeing

Areas for Improvement

  • Some teaching explanations are not clear enough, making it difficult for pupils to understand how to complete tasks
  • The curriculum does not consistently provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise and extend their knowledge in complex tasks
  • Some pupils are not achieving as highly as they could in certain areas

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with trusted adults helping pupils feel safe and addressing any worries.

Extracurricular Activities

Lego club, French club, art club, dance club, multi-sports club, rock and roll bands, class performances, local sporting festivals, eco club, school council, faith council

Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection. Pupils enjoy attending this warm and welcoming school where they feel safe and are encouraged to achieve well.

At a Glance

11.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

22 responses
Would recommend82%
Child is happy96%
Well taught86%
Good progress77%
Feels safe86%
Well behaved77%
Bullying dealt with5%
Kept informed86%
Handles concerns64%
Wider development59%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+18ppMaths+1ppWriting+10pp

Reading has improved from 69% to 87%. Maths has remained stable at around 68%. Writing has improved from 69% to 79%.

Class Sizes

23.9

Avg class size

23.3

Infant (KS1)

26.0

KS2

10

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Telephone Exchange (opp)
196m · 3 min walk
Methodist Church (opp)
262m · 4 min walk
Ash Grove (adj)
316m · 5 min walk
The Street (opp)
316m · 5 min walk
Peters Grove (adj)
330m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

87%

Available places

273 pupils

315 capacity

42 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Ipswich

Low pressure
New homes approved:4,470
Projected new pupils:1,118

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ipswich

Admissions Demand - Suffolk

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

8,896

Applications

6,486

Got 1st preference

96.3%

Got preferred school

99.4%

Primary admissions across Suffolk (2025/26)

Inspection History(110)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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.

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.27371%

Overall absence

5.95745%

Persistent absence

235

Enrolments

Authorised3.27869%
Unauthorised0.99502%
Persistent (10%+)5.95745%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.11353%
18/19
2.78018%
20/21
6.19067%
21/22
4.53919%
22/23
4.56294%
23/24
4.27371%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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