Palgrave Church of England Primary School, Nr Diss
Palgrave Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Nr Diss, part of The Tilian Partnership. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 225 schools in Suffolk with published results, and 1st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 133% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Palgrave Church of England Primary School in detail
Palgrave Church of England Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at Palgrave Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 73% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Palgrave Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Palgrave Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 22 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 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 Palgrave Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Palgrave Church of England Primary School are Diss Church of England Junior Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); Diss Infant Academy and Nursery (1 mile, Requires improvement); Roydon Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 69% reading, 71% maths); and Wortham Primary School (2.2 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 94% maths).
Palgrave Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Diss Church of England Junior AcademyDiss Infant Academy and NurseryRoydon Primary SchoolWortham Primary School
The trust
Palgrave Church of England Primary School is one of 15 schools run by The Tilian Partnership, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
20 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Palgrave Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (80%).
Who goes there
8.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 8 pupils (9.4%) received SEN support and 1 (1.2%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Staffing
Palgrave Church of England Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Diss Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church (outside), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 77 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Palgrave Church of England 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 multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2019, 7 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a small but welcoming school where children flourish in a calm, purposeful environment. Teachers set high expectations and pupils respond well, achieving across all curriculum areas. The school offers exceptional enrichment opportunities and leadership roles that help children develop strong character and responsibility.
Key Strengths
- Pupils behave extremely well and treat each other with kindness and respect
- Strong phonics programme with well-matched books and effective support for struggling readers
- Excellent personal development through enrichment activities including residential trips and visits to places like 10 Downing Street
- Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND who access the full curriculum
- Parents unanimously positive about the school with strong family relationships
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent application of handwriting correction in early years and key stage 1 means letter formation errors are not being consistently addressed
- Some aspects of the new phonics programme are still being developed and not yet fully embedded
- Need to ensure systematic checking and correction of pupils' written letter formation so mistakes do not increase over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Year 6 residential, choral event, visits to 10 Downing Street, school council, team captain roles, before and after-school care
Palgrave Church of England Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive school where pupils thrive and achieve well across the curriculum. The school has maintained its good standards through effective leadership and a strong focus on pupil wellbeing and enrichment.
At a Glance
8.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
20 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 improved from 73% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 67% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 87% to 100% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.3
Avg class size
19.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Palgrave Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Palgrave Church of England Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Suffolk's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Palgrave Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Palgrave Church of England 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Palgrave Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Palgrave Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Palgrave Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Palgrave Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Palgrave Church of England 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 Palgrave Church of England Primary School for 2017 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
133%
Over capacity
84 pupils
63 places
21 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Nr Diss
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nr Diss
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(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
10.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
85
Total Pupils
41
Boys
44
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
10.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,201
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,837
Per pupil
£542k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
2.8%
Persistent absence
71
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
Palgrave Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Palgrave Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Palgrave Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 100% did so in maths.
What is Palgrave Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Palgrave Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Palgrave Church of England 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 Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
Palgrave Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 133% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Palgrave Church of England Primary School average 21.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
Palgrave Church of England Primary School has around 85 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at Palgrave Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 2.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Palgrave Church of England 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.
How many road collisions happen near Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Palgrave Church of England Primary School?
Palgrave Church of England Primary School is at Palgrave, Nr Diss, Suffolk, IP22 1AG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)