Howard Community Academy, Bury St Edmunds
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Howard Community Academy creates a happy, safe environment where pupils are proud of their learning and teachers make lessons fun. The school excels at supporting all children, particularly those with special needs, and offers rich experiences beyond the classroom including visits to farms and museums, music lessons, and a cathedral choir. Pupils take on meaningful leadership roles and develop strong values of kindness and respect.
Key Strengths
- Excellent teaching of early reading with systematic phonics from Nursery onwards - children are rapidly identified if they need help
- Outstanding personal development programme with a strong focus on pupil well-being, kindness, and respect
- Ambitious, coherently planned curriculum across all areas with creative, memorable learning experiences like farm visits and First World War trenches
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND who thrive and complete the same learning as their peers
- Rich enrichment opportunities including music tuition, cathedral choir, and many clubs that disadvantaged pupils actively participate in
Areas for Improvement
- Support for pupils with weak communication and language skills is not used consistently enough in lessons, limiting their progress
- In some subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and master more complex knowledge
- Teaching in a few subjects does not give routine chances for pupils to extend and consolidate their skills
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Brass music tuition, cathedral choir singing, gardening club, karaoke club, cricket club, collaborations with the arts council, Bury in Bloom community activities, prayer space for different religions, care home visits with Sparkles the Bear
Howard Community Academy is a primary school that has made significant improvements to its curriculum with a strong focus on developing the whole child. The school provides happy, safe learning experiences where pupils behave well and achieve overall.
At a Glance
42.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 48% to 71%. Maths has remained stable at around 50%. Writing has improved from 43% to 57%.
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
29.5
KS2
5
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
Commute Calculator
Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply
What are my chances?
Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
67%
Available places
210 pupils
315 capacity
105 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Bury St Edmunds
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bury St Edmunds
Admissions Demand - Suffolk
Places available
8,896
Applications
6,486
Got 1st preference
96.3%
Got preferred school
99.4%
Primary admissions across Suffolk (2025/26)
Inspection History(3)
House Prices
Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost
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
7.40503%
Overall absence
21.8543%
Persistent absence
151
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Howard Community Academy
Nearby Schools
Do you work at this school?
Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.