Include Suffolk, Lowestoft
Include Suffolk is an independent school for pupils aged 5 to 12 in Lowestoft. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Include Suffolk in detail
Include Suffolk in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "My name is Daryl Bates and I am proud to be Headteacher of Catch22 include Suffolk Primary School. We are an independent school located across 3 sites in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds. Our school provides a temporary, full-time, specialist education for children aged 5-11 years old whose needs cannot be met by their mainstream setting."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
In 2026, 4 pupils (7.7%) received SEN support and 48 (92.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lowestoft Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ashley Downs (adjacent), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 287 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils have a second chance at Include Suffolk. Most have faced difficult challenges in the past. Each morning they receive a warm welcome as they arrive. This is important to help pupils settle and prepare for the day ahead. Pupils' individual needs are well understood. They know that adults will support and help them. Pupils are safe and well cared for.
All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school is ambitious for every pupil. Staff's patient approach helps to build nurturing and trusting relationships. They provide opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence and self-worth. This helps pupils to enjoy positive experiences. Many leave able to re-engage with learning at their next stages of education.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Since the previous inspection, the school has made positive changes to the curriculum. There is now a well-structured curriculum designed to meet the needs of all pupils. This is because some pupils spend longer at the provision than intended. Pupils study a range of subjects organised in two yearly cycles. The school has identified the important knowledge that builds pupils' understanding. However, where a few subject plans have been recently introduced these steps are less precise. On these occasions, pupils do not achieve as well as they are capable of.
Generally, staff have secure subject knowledge. They use this well when checking pupils' understanding to address misconceptions. Staff use effective strategies to engage pupils. They provide opportunities for pupils to work practically. However, not all tasks are well matched to meet the needs of all pupils. This links to those few subjects where there is less detail in the plan. Sometimes when teaching these subjects, teachers do not take enough account of pupils' starting points. This means that new learning does not build on what pupils already know.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Keep up with Include Suffolk
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
69%
Available places
52 pupils
75 places
23 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Lowestoft
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lowestoft
Across Suffolk council
Places available
8,475
Applications
7,204
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Suffolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
48
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
52
Total Pupils
41
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Include Suffolk
What is Include Suffolk's Ofsted rating?
Include Suffolk was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
Does Include Suffolk meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2024, Include Suffolk met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Include Suffolk?
Include Suffolk has around 52 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Include Suffolk?
Include Suffolk is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Include Suffolk?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Include Suffolk?
Include Suffolk is at House 1, the Ashley School, Ashley Downs, Lowestoft, NR32 4EX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)