Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School, Stowmarket
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Stowmarket. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 15 schools in Stowmarket with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School in detail
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 72% in Suffolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 84% in reading and 72% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School as their first choice and 23 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 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 Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School are Helmingham Primary School and Nursery (3.1 miles, Requires improvement); Bedfield Church of England Primary School (3.4 miles); Wetheringsett Church of England Primary School (3.4 miles, Good); and Stonham Aspal Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (3.5 miles, Good, 72% reading, 62% maths).
Helmingham Primary School and NurseryBedfield Church of England Primary SchoolWetheringsett Church of England Primary SchoolStonham Aspal Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Who goes there
11.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 15 pupils (8.9%) received SEN support and 4 (2.4%) 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 moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Butts (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Suspensions and exclusions
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 84% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 72% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 68% to 58% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.2
Avg class size
20.0
Infant (KS1)
31.3
KS2
6
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School.
- Premier Education Activities - Sir Robert Hitcham C of E VA Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School is a voluntary aided school, 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
You apply to the council where you live. Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 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 Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School
Will you get a place at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided 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
77%
Available places
161 pupils
210 places
49 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Stowmarket
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stowmarket
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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
11.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
169
Total Pupils
99
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
16.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,855
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,233
Per pupil
£920k
Total funding
£35k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
9.2%
Persistent absence
141
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
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School
Questions parents ask about Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School
What are SATs results like at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
Of the pupils at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School's Ofsted rating?
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
No fixed boundary. When Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
Classes at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School average 27.2 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School has around 169 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School in 2024/25. 9.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided 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.
Does Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Premier Education Activities - Sir Robert Hitcham C of E VA Primary School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 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 Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School?
Sir Robert Hitcham Church of England Voluntary Aided School is at School Corner, Debenham, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 6PL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)