Thurston Church of England Primary Academy, Bury St. Edmunds

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 511

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.3km)Possible (~3.3km)Unlikely (~4.3km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr John Bayes
Pupils:349 / 420 capacity
LA:Suffolk
Phone:01359230444
Address:Pond Field Road, Bury St. Edmunds, IP31 3FT
Trust:THE TILIAN PARTNERSHIP
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 January 2016

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 12 November 2024View full report
URN:142562
UKPRN:10055174
Diocese:Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Constituency:Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2012 inspection — up from Requires Improvement.

Rated Good for

Leadership & management.

A plain-English summary of the full inspection report is coming soon.

At a Glance

20.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

58 responses
Would recommend93%
Child is happy95%
Well taught97%
Good progress93%
Feels safe93%
Well behaved88%
Bullying dealt with14%
Kept informed97%
Handles concerns69%
Wider development88%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+7ppMaths+2ppWriting+10pp

Reading has improved from 71% to 78%. Maths has remained stable at around 75%. Writing has improved from 73% to 83%.

Class Sizes

25.8

Avg class size

24.3

Infant (KS1)

27.1

KS2

13

Total classes

2 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

War Memorial (adj)
141m · 2 min walk
The Dog (adj)
176m · 3 min walk
Baptist Church (adj)
235m · 4 min walk
Old Smithy (opp)
481m · 8 min walk
Prospect Road (adj)
818m · 13 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

83%

Available places

349 pupils

420 capacity

71 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bury St. Edmunds

Low pressure
New homes approved:599
Projected new pupils:150

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bury St. Edmunds

Admissions Demand - Suffolk

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

8,896

Applications

6,486

Got 1st preference

96.3%

Got preferred school

99.4%

Primary admissions across Suffolk (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

12 November 2024
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
31 October 2018
5 December 2012
Good
Leadership & ManagementGood

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.

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.56937%

Overall absence

11.29568%

Persistent absence

301

Enrolments

Authorised4.85252%
Unauthorised0.71685%
Persistent (10%+)11.29568%
Severe (50%+)0.33223%

Absence trend

3.11577%
18/19
5.40978%
20/21
4.24658%
21/22
5.238%
22/23
5.10676%
23/24
5.56937%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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