Priory School, Bury St Edmunds
Priory School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Bury St Edmunds, part of Eastern Education Group Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Priory School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Priory School are Sir Peter Hall School (1.1 miles); Riverwalk School (1.6 miles, Good); Abbey Gardens School (1.7 miles); and Pushforward Primary School (2.4 miles).
Sir Peter Hall SchoolRiverwalk SchoolAbbey Gardens SchoolPushforward Primary School
The trust
Priory School is one of 10 schools run by Eastern Education Group Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 38 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college.
Who goes there
49.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Priory School has an education, health and care plan (241 of 241 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Priory School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance, about 1140 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mount Place (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Priory School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 150 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Priory School issued 6 suspensions, 2.7 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Priory School is a happy place. Pupils enjoy supportive friendships. Bullying and unkindness are rare. Pupils learn to understand and manage their emotional triggers. They flourish in the school's safe culture, including in the sixth form.
Pupils get the practical help they need. The school supports families with transport and pupils with hygiene. Pupils eat high-quality meals. Boarding teaches them independence. Pupils learn a lot of life skills, such as about money and the world of work. The school facilitates trips, ranging from nearby locations like local shops to distant places like Germany. Pupils benefit from the school's ambition to prepare them for life beyond school. In recent years, all have gone on to positive next steps in education or training.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has put in place a curriculum that in most areas builds up pupils' knowledge incrementally. Where it is successful, the curriculum identifies the key knowledge that pupils should learn and revisit. In food technology, for example, teachers use previous learning as the building blocks pupils need to understand new content. Students in the sixth form develop the mathematical calculation skills they know from key stage 4. Mostly, pupils develop detailed knowledge. They produce high-quality work. However, in some areas, the curriculum is less well planned. In these cases, teachers do not know exactly what was taught in previous years. They, therefore, do not make the connections with prior learning as precisely as they could. This leads to pupils on occasion being less able to recall prior knowledge. As a result, these pupils do not achieve as well as they could over time.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded 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 Outstanding at its November 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
49.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Speech and language +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with Priory School
Before and after school care
Priory School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Suffolk
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Priory School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Priory 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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
118%
Over capacity
241 pupils
204 places
37 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bury St Edmunds
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bury St Edmunds
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
241
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Priory School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
241
Total Pupils
147
Boys
94
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
36
Teachers
6.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,954
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.6%
Overall absence
31.0%
Persistent absence
168
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Priory School
What are GCSE results like at Priory School?
In the 2025 results, pupils at Priory School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Priory School's Ofsted rating?
Priory School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Priory School?
No fixed boundary. When Priory School is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Priory School?
Priory School has around 241 pupils on roll. 50% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Priory School have specialist SEN provision?
Priory School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Priory School?
9.6% of sessions were missed at Priory School in 2024/25. 31% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Priory School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Priory School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Priory School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Priory School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Priory School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Priory School?
Priory School is at Mount Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7BH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)