Wood Ley Community Primary School, Stowmarket

Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~714m)Possible (~1.0km)Unlikely (~1.3km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Sandra Renwick
Pupils:307 / 315 capacity
LA:Suffolk
Phone:01449616038
Address:Lowry Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1UF
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 7 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 10 February 2026View full report
URN:124680
UKPRN:10069194
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Wood Ley Primary creates a calm, welcoming environment where every child feels valued and safe. Staff are skilled at spotting when pupils need extra help and providing tailored support, whether for learning or emotional wellbeing. Pupils develop wonderful attitudes - they're polite, enthusiastic learners who understand the school's values and care about fairness and others' experiences.

Key Strengths

  • Exceptional behaviour and attendance - pupils are polite, enthusiastic and well-settled with clear routines
  • Inclusive approach - excellent support for disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs, with tailored help and equal access to activities
  • Strong pastoral care - play therapy practitioners and pastoral staff provide effective emotional support
  • Well-planned personal development programme - broad learning including cultural awareness, trips, and enrichment clubs
  • Effective safeguarding - open culture where safety is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel protected

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching approaches need consistency - newer methods like regular recapping are beginning to help but haven't yet had consistent impact across all year groups
  • Achievement broadly matches national averages - while pupils progress steadily, there's room for stronger outcomes across the school

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Parkour, LEGO, crochet, singing, art projects, music projects, photography projects, farm visits, church visits, historical themed days, residential trips for older pupils

Wood Ley Community Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive school where pupils behave exceptionally well and feel safe. Leaders have created a calm, orderly environment with strong systems for attendance, behaviour and support for all learners.

At a Glance

15.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-11ppMathsWriting-2pp

Reading has declined from 71% to 60%. Maths has remained stable at around 76%. Writing has remained stable at around 76%.

Class Sizes

25.8

Avg class size

12

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Lowry Way (opp)
181m · 3 min walk
Kipling Way (opp)
280m · 5 min walk
Stow Lodge (opp)
316m · 5 min walk
High School (o/s)
345m · 6 min walk
Mallard Way (opp)
371m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

97%

Near capacity

307 pupils

315 capacity

8 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Stowmarket

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,152
Projected new pupils:288

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Stowmarket

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(7)

10 February 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
30 June 2021
11 February 2016

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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

4.8486%

Overall absence

11.89591%

Persistent absence

269

Enrolments

Authorised4.26712%
Unauthorised0.58148%
Persistent (10%+)11.89591%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.30448%
18/19
2.17677%
20/21
5.86901%
21/22
5.05812%
22/23
5.07391%
23/24
4.8486%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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