The Old School, Beccles
The Old School is an independent school for pupils aged 0 to 11 in Beccles. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2024.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Old School in detail
The Old School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Old School Henstead is proudly an independent school in Suffolk, offering co-educational nursery and prep, set within a 3-acre campus. Nestled in a picturesque rural setting, we are just 10 minutes away from the sea and from the towns of Beccles and Lowestoft."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis, athletics, swimming, multi-sports, yoga, dance, drama, Lego, cooking and philosophy.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
In 2026, 7 pupils (14.9%) received SEN support and 2 (4.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Old School.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
13 February 2024
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
15 October 2019
Regulatory Compliance
18 October 2017
Standard
1 January 2011
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Keep up with The Old School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
39%
Available places
47 pupils
120 places
73 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Beccles
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Beccles
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
19.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
47
Total Pupils
20
Boys
27
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about The Old School
When was The Old School last inspected?
The Old School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2024.
How many pupils go to The Old School?
The Old School has around 47 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Old School?
The Old School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Old School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 The Old School?
The Old School is at Toad Row, Henstead, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7LG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)