Stour Valley Community School, Sudbury
Stour Valley Community School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Sudbury, part of Anglian Learning. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 21st-highest of the 43 schools in Suffolk with published results, and 1,915th of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Suffolk (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Stour Valley Community School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Stour Valley Community School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.
43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 44.5.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.14: 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 29.3, against 48.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 18.9 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Design and Technology.
Getting a place at Stour Valley Community School
For September 2026 entry, 116 families put Stour Valley Community School as their first choice and 183 named it as one of their preferences, for 112 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Stour Valley Community School
The trust
Stour Valley Community School is one of 22 schools run by Anglian Learning, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 115 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Who goes there
1.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Stour Valley Community School.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stour Valley Community School (inside), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Stour Valley Community School issued 74 suspensions, 13 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Stour Valley Community School are Clare Community Primary School (0.5 miles) and Cavendish Church of England Primary School (1.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Clare Community Primary SchoolCavendish Church of England Primary School
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; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Stour Valley Community School is a coeducational free school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Clare in the English county of Suffolk. It opened in September 2011 as one of the first 24 free schools in England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
18.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.14 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 47.6 to 44.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 43% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 44.5 | 42.5% |
| Disadvantaged(22) | - | 29.3 | 13.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(91) | - | 48.2 | 49.5% |
| Boys(63) | - | 41.7 | 42.9% |
| Girls(50) | - | 48.1 | 42% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(104) | - | 45.8 | 44.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 115 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
74
Suspensions
13.01%
Suspension rate
41 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 569 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Keep up with Stour Valley Community School
Term dates
Stour Valley Community School is a free 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
Check free transport to Stour Valley Community School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stour Valley Community 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Stour Valley Community School
Will you get a place at Stour Valley Community School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Stour Valley Community School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Stour Valley Community School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Stour Valley Community School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Stour Valley Community 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
567 pupils
575 places
8 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sudbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sudbury
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
76
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
18.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
569
Total Pupils
292
Boys
277
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
37
Teachers
15.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,054
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,710
Per pupil
£4079k
Total funding
£111k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.1%
Overall absence
25.5%
Persistent absence
599
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
Stour Valley Community School
Questions parents ask about Stour Valley Community School
What are GCSE results like at Stour Valley Community School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Stour Valley Community School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 44.5. 43% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Stour Valley Community School's Ofsted rating?
Stour Valley Community School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2023.
What is the catchment area for Stour Valley Community School?
No fixed boundary. When Stour Valley Community 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 Stour Valley Community School?
Stour Valley Community School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Stour Valley Community School?
Classes at Stour Valley Community School average 24 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Stour Valley Community School?
Stour Valley Community School has around 569 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Stour Valley Community School?
10.1% of sessions were missed at Stour Valley Community School in 2024/25. 25.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Stour Valley Community School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Stour Valley Community School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Stour Valley Community School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Stour Valley Community School?
Stour Valley Community School is at Cavendish Road, Clare, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 8PJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)