Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #217 in Suffolk public Top 95% UK

Howard Community Academy

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

personMrs Alison Weir

corporate_fareANGLIAN LEARNING

location_onBury St Edmunds, IP32 6SA

language Visit Website phone 1284766278

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2025

groups

Students

175

school

Expected Standard

36%

local_fire_department

Demand Ratio

0.9x

summarize

Howard Community Academy is a Academy sponsor led primary school in Bury St Edmunds, serving ages 3-11. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards. Ranks in the top 95% of primary schools nationally.

article

School Summary

Howard Community Academy is an academy sponsor led in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, admitting pupils aged 3-11. It is part of ANGLIAN LEARNING. The school has approximately 196 pupils on roll, of whom 47% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, 36% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined. The school ranks #217 of 225 primaries in Suffolk and #13,685 of 14,143 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2025. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Outstanding, and leadership and management Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.9× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 21.0:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 1.8 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

36%

LA 57%

Reading71% LA 73%

Writing57% LA 68%

Maths50% LA 69%

Read SS

103

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

24%

LA 55%England 61%

Reading48% LA 73% · Eng 74%

Writing43% LA 68% · Eng 72%

Maths48% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Read SS

100

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

24%

LA 54%England 60%

Reading36% LA 70% · Eng 73%

Writing24% LA 67% · Eng 71%

Maths40% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

0.5

Read

LA 0.0

-2.0 to 2.9

-3.8

Write

LA -0.4

-6.2 to -1.4

-0.9

Maths

LA -0.6

-3.2 to 1.4

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

23%

LA 61%England 65%

Reading39% LA 71% · Eng 73%

Writing23% LA 75% · Eng 78%

Maths29% LA 75% · Eng 79%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

-4.8

Read

LA -0.6

-7.0 to -2.6

-9.0

Write

LA -0.7

-11.0 to -7.0

-8.3

Maths

LA -1.1

-10.3 to -6.3

2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

LA 60%

Reading-% LA 73%

Writing-% LA 74%

Maths-% LA 71%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

LA -0.4

Write

LA -0.5

Maths

LA -1.0

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

01 July 2025

Inspection Report

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18 January 2023

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

4 Evaluations

2025-07-01

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Good

2023-01-18

Academy First Section 5 EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2017-07-06

Maintained Academy and School Short inspection EIF

Inadequate

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Inadequate

2014-06-05

None EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

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

Suspension Rate

2.0%per term

warning Above Average

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

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

2.0%(4 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 196 pupils. During this period, there were 4 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 2.0%, which is above the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg
2024/25 (Spring term)	196	4	2.0%	0.8%
2024/25 (Autumn term)	184	3	1.6%	0.9%
2023/24 (Summer term)	192	5	2.6%	0.8%
2023/24 (Spring term)	190	4	2.1%	0.7%
2023/24 (Autumn term)	182	4	2.2%	0.8%
2022/23 (Summer term)	185	7	3.8%	0.7%
2022/23 (Spring term)	175	1	0.6%	0.6%
2022/23 (Autumn term)	163	2	1.2%	0.6%
2021/22 (Summer term)	184	0	0.0%	0.5%
2021/22 (Spring term)	163	1	0.6%	0.5%
2021/22 (Autumn term)	154	0	0.0%	0.5%
2020/21 (Summer term)	157	1	0.6%	0.4%
2020/21 (Spring term)	150	0	0.0%	0.1%
2020/21 (Autumn term)	146	3	2.1%	0.4%
2019/20 (Summer term)	164	0	0.0%	0.0%
2019/20 (Spring term)	164	20	12.2%	0.4%
2019/20 (Autumn term)	159	42	26.4%	0.6%
2018/19 (Summer term)	175	32	18.3%	0.4%
2018/19 (Spring term)	170	14	8.2%	0.5%
2018/19 (Autumn term)	164	14	8.5%	0.5%

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

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psychology_alt

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 18 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 11 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 7 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 6 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 4 pupils

Hearing Impairment 1 pupils

health_and_safety

Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

87.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

86.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

13.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree47%

agree33%

disagree10%

strongly disagree10%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree53%

agree30%

disagree13%

strongly disagree3%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree40%

agree17%

disagree13%

strongly disagree7%

not applicable23%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes43%

no57%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree31%

agree31%

disagree15%

strongly disagree23%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree47%

agree27%

disagree17%

strongly disagree7%

don't know3%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree60%

agree23%

disagree7%

strongly disagree7%

don't know3%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree57%

agree20%

disagree13%

strongly disagree7%

don't know3%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree53%

agree27%

disagree7%

strongly disagree7%

don't know7%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree63%

agree20%

disagree3%

strongly disagree7%

don't know7%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree60%

agree20%

disagree10%

strongly disagree7%

don't know3%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes80%

no20%

Top Primary Schools in Suffolk

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

View all arrow_forward

The Albert Pye Community Primary School

Good

location_on Beccles, NR34 9UL

emoji_events #1 in LA

Lavenham Community Primary School

Good

location_on Sudbury, CO10 9RB

emoji_events #2 in LA

Red Oak Primary School

Good

location_on Lowestoft, NR33 0RZ

emoji_events #3 in LA

Woodhall Primary School

Good

location_on Sudbury, CO10 1ST

emoji_events #4 in LA

Abbots Green Primary Academy

Good

location_on Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7PJ

emoji_events #5 in LA

Poplars Community Primary School

Requires improvement

location_on Lowestoft, NR32 4HN

emoji_events #6 in LA

View all schools in Suffolk arrow_forward

School Summary

Academic Performance

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Primary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Primary Schools in Suffolk

The Albert Pye Community Primary School

Lavenham Community Primary School

Red Oak Primary School

Woodhall Primary School

Abbots Green Primary Academy

Poplars Community Primary School