Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Stowmarket
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Stowmarket. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 14th-highest of the 15 schools in Stowmarket with published results, and 12,831st of 14,452 across England. It was 76% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Suffolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 50% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (65% in reading, 53% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 31 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Wood Ley Community Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 60% reading, 76% maths); Grace Cook Primary School (2 miles); Abbot's Hall Community Primary School (2.1 miles, 81% reading, 78% maths); and Chilton Community Primary School (2.2 miles, 86% reading, 73% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
Wood Ley Community Primary SchoolGrace Cook Primary SchoolAbbot's Hall Community Primary SchoolChilton Community Primary School
Who goes there
12% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 25 pupils (23.1%) received SEN support and 2 (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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance1, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Buxhall Turn (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Suspensions and exclusions
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 November 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
12.0%
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 improved from 65% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 50% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
20.0
Infant (KS1)
34.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Term dates
Great Finborough 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Great Finborough 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Great Finborough 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 Great Finborough 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
76%
Available places
107 pupils
140 places
33 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Stowmarket
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stowmarket
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(6)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
25.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
108
Total Pupils
63
Boys
45
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
12.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,366
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,025
Per pupil
£689k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
11.7%
Persistent absence
94
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
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Questions parents ask about Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 50% did so in maths.
What is Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022.
What is the catchment area for Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Great Finborough 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 Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 76% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 27 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 108 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 11.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Great Finborough 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 Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's term dates?
Great Finborough 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 Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at High Road, Great Finborough, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3AQ.
Sources: Suffolk term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)