Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery, Ipswich
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ipswich. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 24th-highest of the 55 schools in Ipswich with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- 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
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 75% in reading and 57% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery as their first choice and 59 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 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 Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ipswich (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 84% reading, 91% maths); St Helen's Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 66% reading, 68% maths); Rose Hill Primary (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 68% reading, 68% maths); and St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Ipswich (0.6 miles, Good, 97% reading, 97% maths).
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, IpswichSt Helen's Primary SchoolRose Hill PrimarySt John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Ipswich
What parents say
93 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).
Who goes there
44.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (47%), Mixed (10%) and Asian (8%).
In 2026, 30 pupils (7.4%) received SEN support and 8 (2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance2, about 680 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wellesley Road (adjacent), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 396 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery are Learning Support, Southern Area Education Office (0.6 miles); Copleston High School (0.8 miles); Northgate High School (1.2 miles); and St Alban's Catholic High School (1.2 miles).
Learning Support, Southern Area Education OfficeCopleston High SchoolNorthgate High SchoolSt Alban's Catholic High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school has caring staff who create a warm, welcoming environment where pupils enjoy coming to school. Recent changes to reading and mathematics teaching are showing positive results, and pupils benefit from a good range of books and learning opportunities. The school also offers pupils diverse enrichment activities including sports, music lessons, and meaningful visits that bring learning to life.
Key Strengths
- Reading programme is well-structured with phonics matched to books, helping pupils develop a love of reading
- Staff are warm, caring and supportive, with new leadership appreciated by the team
- Pupils enjoy a range of enrichment activities and have access to a variety of books
- New behaviour values and approaches to teaching some subjects are beginning to show improvement
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum in some subjects lacks clear sequencing, making it difficult for pupils to build knowledge systematically
- Teachers don't consistently check what pupils know, so gaps in learning aren't identified and addressed
- Support for pupils with special needs isn't precise enough to ensure they make good progress
- Behaviour expectations are new and not yet embedded consistently across all classes and staff
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with robust systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, choir, chess, violin, guitar, recorder, clarinet lessons, Year 6 residential trip, visits to Clifford Road Tunnels heritage site
Clifford Road Primary School & Nursery requires improvement across all areas. Despite pupils enjoying school and new leadership introducing positive changes in reading and mathematics, curriculum planning lacks clarity in some subjects and behaviour expectations are inconsistently applied.
At a Glance
17.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
93 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 57% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 34% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.3
Avg class size
23.3
Infant (KS1)
29.9
KS2
15
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 Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery.
- Crash After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery is a community 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
Check free transport to Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery 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
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 23 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
13 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 Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery
Will you get a place at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery 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
96%
Near capacity
404 pupils
420 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ipswich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ipswich
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(12)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
9.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
404
Total Pupils
199
Boys
205
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,516
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,029
Per pupil
£2247k
Total funding
£111k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
14.2%
Persistent absence
367
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery
What are SATs results like at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
Of the pupils at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
Classes at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery average 26.3 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 Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery has around 404 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
5.8% of sessions were missed at Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery in 2024/25. 14.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery 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.
Does Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Crash After School Club (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery's term dates?
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery is a community 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 Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 23 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 13 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 Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery?
Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery is at Clifford Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 1PJ.
Sources: Suffolk term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)