Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Saxmundham
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Saxmundham. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 6 schools in Saxmundham with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- 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
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 85% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 72% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 32 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Saxmundham Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 70% reading, 77% maths); Benhall St Mary's Church of England Primary School (1.8 miles, 56% reading, 78% maths); Yoxford & Peasenhall Primary Academy (2.9 miles, Good, 40% reading, 30% maths); and Middleton Community Primary School (3.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 43% maths).
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Saxmundham Primary SchoolBenhall St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolYoxford & Peasenhall Primary AcademyMiddleton Community Primary School
Who goes there
1.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (91%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 25 pupils (15.1%) received SEN support and 13 (7.8%) 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 Entrance1, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (outside), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 3.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
19.3%
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 72% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.7
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
23.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Term dates
Kelsale 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. Kelsale 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)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kelsale 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 Kelsale 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
165 pupils
168 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Saxmundham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Saxmundham
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)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
22.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
166
Total Pupils
95
Boys
71
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
16.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,707
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,526
Per pupil
£989k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
15.1%
Persistent absence
146
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 85% did so in maths.
What is Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Kelsale 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 Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 23.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 166 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Kelsale 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 Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's term dates?
Kelsale 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 Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Carlton Road, Kelsale, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 2NP.
Sources: Suffolk term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)