Stowmarket High School, Stowmarket
Stowmarket High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Stowmarket, part of Kingfisher Schools Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 24th-highest of the 43 schools in Suffolk with published results, and 2,247th of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- 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
Stowmarket High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Stowmarket High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.
38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.
That is up from 40.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.03: pupils made about 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 37.1, against 44.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Stowmarket High School
For September 2026 entry, 201 families put Stowmarket High School as their first choice and 320 named it as one of their preferences, for 202 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Stowmarket High School
The trust
Stowmarket 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.
What parents say
233 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Stowmarket High School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 74% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (74%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 164 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
4.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance2, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (outside), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 87 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Stowmarket High School issued 260 suspensions, 29 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Stowmarket High School are Wood Ley Community Primary School (0.2 miles), Chilton Community Primary School (0.4 miles), Grace Cook Primary School (0.6 miles) and Abbot's Hall Community Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Wood Ley Community Primary SchoolChilton Community Primary SchoolGrace Cook Primary SchoolAbbot's Hall Community 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; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
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.
About
Stowmarket High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Stowmarket, Suffolk in England. It was at one time known as Stowmarket Grammar School.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.03 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 43.0 to 42.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 38% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 42.5 | 37.8% |
| Disadvantaged(41) | - | 37.1 | 26.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(131) | - | 44.2 | 41.2% |
| Boys(86) | - | 38.0 | 29.1% |
| Girls(86) | - | 46.9 | 46.5% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(9) | - | 43.2 | 33.3% |
| Non mobile(163) | - | 43.3 | 39.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 164 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.33%
Exclusion rate
260
Suspensions
29.02%
Suspension rate
73 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 896 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Keep up with Stowmarket High School
Term dates
Stowmarket High School is an academy, 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 Stowmarket High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stowmarket High 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Stowmarket High School
Will you get a place at Stowmarket High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Stowmarket High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Stowmarket High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Stowmarket High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Stowmarket High School for 2019 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
99%
Near capacity
892 pupils
900 places
8 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
8,475
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
129
SEN Support
52
EHC Plans
20.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
901
Total Pupils
456
Boys
445
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
65
Teachers
13.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,738
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,784
Per pupil
£6492k
Total funding
£205k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.6%
Overall absence
21.4%
Persistent absence
934
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
Questions parents ask about Stowmarket High School
What are GCSE results like at Stowmarket High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Stowmarket High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.5. 38% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Stowmarket High School's Ofsted rating?
Stowmarket High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Stowmarket High School?
No fixed boundary. When Stowmarket High 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 Stowmarket High School?
Stowmarket High School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Stowmarket High School?
Classes at Stowmarket High School average 24.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Stowmarket High School?
Stowmarket High School has around 901 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Stowmarket High School?
7.6% of sessions were missed at Stowmarket High School in 2024/25. 21.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Stowmarket High School?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Stowmarket High 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 Stowmarket High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Stowmarket High School?
Stowmarket High School is at Onehouse Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 1QR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)