Sybil Andrews Academy, Bury St. Edmunds

In its own words: "Our journey since then has seen us grow in size to currently four buildings, creating a state-of-the-art campus, and hundreds of students have now graduated from Sybil Andrews Academy with fantastic grades. We are a school that is constantly evolving and developing and shaping our future. As a result, this is an exciting place to be!"

From the headteacher's welcome: "Located just north of Bury St Edmunds in an attractive, university-style campus, our academy is built around an ethos founded on the principle of mutual respect, a strong set of values, powerful, supportive relationships and high aspirations and ambition for all. Our aims are simple."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance and orchestra.

In 2026, pupils at Sybil Andrews Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.

60% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.

That is up from 49.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.15: 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 27.6, against 55.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 27.9 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, French and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 101 families put Sybil Andrews Academy as their first choice and 210 named it as one of their preferences, for 109 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Sybil Andrews Academy are Learning Support, Western Area Education Office (1.6 miles); Thurston Community College (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.9); King Edward VI CEVC School (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.4); and Bury St Edmunds County High School (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8).

Sybil Andrews Academy's 2026 results were higher than all 3 of them.

Sybil Andrews Academy is one of 40 schools run by Unity Schools Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.3 in 2024/25.

Of the 144 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

14.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 72 pupils (11%) received SEN support and 56 (8.5%) 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 autism.

Sybil Andrews Academy has a SEN unit for moderate learning difficulties: 18 places, 22 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Entrance, about 2 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sybil Andrews Academy (opposite), 40 metres away.

In 2024/25, Sybil Andrews Academy issued 124 suspensions, 19.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Sybil Andrews Academy are Abbots Green Primary Academy (0.3 miles), Sebert Wood Community Primary School (0.8 miles), Hardwick Primary School (1.7 miles) and Guildhall Feoffment Community Primary School (1.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.