Stowmarket High School, Stowmarket
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This school creates a happy, respectful environment where pupils feel confident and well-supported. Teachers are highly trained and work hard to help all pupils, including those with additional needs, succeed and build on their learning. The school goes beyond academics by offering excellent support for pupils' health, relationships, careers and overall development.
Key Strengths
- Leadership team has driven rapid improvements with intelligent, purposeful actions and strong staff support
- Excellent behaviour and attendance, with calm, focused learning environments
- Comprehensive support for pupils' personal development including careers, well-being, and character education
- Strong approach to reading, with early identification and support for struggling readers
- All pupils, including those with SEND, access the full curriculum and achieve well
Areas for Improvement
- Key knowledge is not always taught with enough precision, limiting some pupils' achievement and their ability to build depth of understanding
- Some pupils face barriers to accessing the wide range of clubs, trips and visits available, missing out on enrichment opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Wide variety of clubs, school performances, local and national trips, international visits
Stowmarket High School has made rapid improvements since its last inspection and is now rated Good for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, with Outstanding leadership and management. Pupils are happy, well-cared for, and benefit from strong relationships and clear expectations.
At a Glance
20.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
233 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
24.5
Avg class size
22
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
75%
Available places
901 pupils
1,200 capacity
299 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Stowmarket
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Stowmarket
Admissions Demand - Suffolk
Places available
8,496
Applications
7,401
Got 1st preference
92.0%
Got preferred school
97.4%
Secondary admissions across Suffolk (2025/26)
Inspection History(4)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.61846%
Overall absence
21.41328%
Persistent absence
934
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Stowmarket High School
Wood Ley Community Primary School
Chilton Community Primary School
Grace Cook Primary School
Abbot's Hall Community Primary School
Combs Ford Primary School
Cedars Park Community Primary School
Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Nearby Schools
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