Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #6 in Suffolk public Top 14% UK

Poplars Community Primary School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMrs Gemma Hurren

corporate_fareEVOLUTION ACADEMY TRUST

location_onLowestoft, NR32 4HN

language Visit Website phone 1502565757

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2023

groups

Students

349

school

Expected Standard

79%

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Demand Ratio

1.0x

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Poplars Community Primary School is a Academy converter primary school in Lowestoft, serving ages 3-11. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards. Ranks in the top 14% of primary schools nationally.

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School Summary

Poplars Community Primary School is an academy converter in Lowestoft, Suffolk, admitting pupils aged 3-11. It is part of EVOLUTION ACADEMY TRUST. The school has approximately 277 pupils on roll, of whom 53% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, 79% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined, with 9% achieving the higher standard. The school ranks #6 of 225 primaries in Suffolk and #720 of 14,143 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2023. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Requires improvement, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 1.0× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 20.0:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 0.0 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

school

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

2025

R/W/M Expected Standard

79%

LA 57%

Reading83% LA 73%

Writing83% LA 68%

Maths87% LA 69%

Read SS

106

Maths SS

106

GPS SS

108

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

60%

LA 55%England 61%

Reading69% LA 73% · Eng 74%

Writing71% LA 68% · Eng 72%

Maths77% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Read SS

102

Maths SS

103

GPS SS

100

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

30%

LA 54%England 60%

Reading62% LA 70% · Eng 73%

Writing42% LA 67% · Eng 71%

Maths49% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Read SS

102

Maths SS

GPS SS

100

Progress (0 = national avg)

-3.1

Read

LA 0.0

-4.6 to -1.6

-6.4

Write

LA -0.4

-7.8 to -4.9

-4.8

Maths

LA -0.6

-6.2 to -3.4

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

58%

LA 61%England 65%

Reading73% LA 71% · Eng 73%

Writing75% LA 75% · Eng 78%

Maths64% LA 75% · Eng 79%

Read SS

104

Maths SS

102

GPS SS

101

Progress (0 = national avg)

-2.2

Read

LA -0.6

-3.7 to -0.7

-0.8

Write

LA -0.7

-2.2 to 0.5

-3.9

Maths

LA -1.1

-5.2 to -2.6

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

21 November 2023

Inspection Report

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28 June 2022

Inspection Report

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03 March 2018

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2023-11-21

S5 Inspection EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2014-06-24

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2013-06-19

None EIF

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

0.0%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 0.8% for this term (primary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.0%(0 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 1.225% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 277 pupils. During this period, there were 0 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 0.0%, which is below the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	277	0	0.0%	0.8%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	274	0	0.0%	0.9%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	313	2	0.6%	0.8%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	312	7	2.2%	0.7%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	298	10	3.4%	0.8%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	352	10	2.8%	0.7%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	349	8	2.3%	0.6%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	347	0	0.0%	0.6%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	395	39	9.9%	0.5%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	395	40	10.1%	0.5%	1
2021/22 (Autumn term)	391	25	6.4%	0.5%	1
2020/21 (Summer term)	418	14	3.3%	0.4%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	416	14	3.4%	0.1%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	424	15	3.5%	0.4%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	449	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	449	9	2.0%	0.4%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	434	19	4.4%	0.6%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	466	8	1.7%	0.4%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	485	7	1.4%	0.5%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	479	4	0.8%	0.5%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Speech, Language & Communication 19 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 16 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 16 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 12 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 11 pupils

Physical Disability 1 pupils