Sir John Leman High School, Beccles

Ofsted's report card from its 14 April 2026 inspection grades Sir John Leman High School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education, training or employment."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders analyse patterns of attendance carefully."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is well designed and ambitious across all year groups."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have created an inclusive culture within the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Since the last inspection, there have been some significant changes to leadership."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a thoughtful, well-ordered programme of personal development."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The post-16 offer is broad and welcoming."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers have the expertise to implement a whole-school approach to writing and spelling which is embedded across all key stages"; "Leaders should continue to use their thorough analysis of post-16 students' learning and performance to inform adaptations to teaching and the curriculum to improve students' outcomes".

In 2026, pupils at Sir John Leman High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.

50% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.

That is up from 44.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.22: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.5, against 49.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 277 families put Sir John Leman High School as their first choice and 419 named it as one of their preferences, for 265 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 14 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

Sir John Leman High School is one of 7 schools run by Kingfisher Schools Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.7 in 2024/25.

Of the 239 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 109 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 54% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 23% into work. 17% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 119 pupils (8.5%) received SEN support and 49 (3.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Entrance, about 1160 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sir John Leman High School (inside), 100 metres away.

In 2024/25, Sir John Leman High School issued 303 suspensions, 21.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Sir John Leman High School are St Benet's RC Primary School and Nursery (0.3 miles), The Albert Pye Community Primary School (0.4 miles), Ravensmere Infant School (0.4 miles) and Beccles Primary Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.