St Benedict's Catholic School, Bury St Edmunds

From the headteacher's welcome: "At St Benedict's our curriculum is structured in order to inform and support the practice of the Catholic faith through shared Gospel values. These values ensure that young people achieve the full potential God has for them, irrespective of ability, background or personal circumstances."

In 2026, pupils at St Benedict's Catholic School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.9, 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 49.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.17: pupils made above 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 38.2, against 53.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 239 families put St Benedict's Catholic School as their first choice and 419 named it as one of their preferences, for 167 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 74 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St Benedict's Catholic School are Bury St Edmunds County High School (0.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8); King Edward VI CEVC School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.4); Learning Support, Western Area Education Office (1.5 miles); and Sybil Andrews Academy (2.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.6).

St Benedict's Catholic School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

St Benedict's Catholic School is one of 11 schools run by Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

253 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Benedict's Catholic School (as of September 2025): 90% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 66% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (66%).

Of the 161 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 30% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 65 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 71% went on to university or other higher education and 14% into work. 38% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

10.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Entrance, about 920 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Greengage (adjacent), 70 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 131 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Benedict's Catholic School issued 63 suspensions, 6.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St Benedict's Catholic School are Tollgate Primary School (0.2 miles), Howard Community Academy (0.5 miles), St Edmundsbury CofE Primary Academy (0.6 miles) and Sexton's Manor Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.