Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a happy, orderly and inclusive school where pupils are safe, polite and well supported. Leadership has rapidly improved provision, particularly in attendance and personal development, and pupils learn an ambitious curriculum. Personal development is a standout strength, with a rich programme that builds mature understanding and active citizenship. Early years provision gives children a strong start, behaviour is good, and pupils benefit from an exceptionally wide range of opportunities, including trips, clubs and charity work led by pupils themselves. The school has a strong culture of kindness and respect, and vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are a high priority. Staff identify needs early, adapt learning carefully and provide expert support, including in phonics and reading. Governors fulfil their roles well and provide effective support and challenge. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. There are still areas to improve. In a few parts of the curriculum, activities do not always help pupils learn the intended knowledge, so progress is sometimes weaker. Some SEND interventions are not planned as effectively as they could be, meaning pupils can miss key classroom learning and develop new gaps. This is a school that has not had a routine inspection since 2012 and was exempt until 2020; it has had five headteachers since the previous inspection, with the current headteacher appointed in January 2022. Since September 2024, schools are no longer awarded an overall effectiveness grade.

Strengths

• A strong culture of kindness and respect runs through the school.
• Pupils receive excellent well-being support, especially vulnerable pupils and those with SEND.
• Pupils are safe, happy, polite and friendly.
• Behaviour is orderly and pupils focus well in lessons.
• Bullying is rare and incidents of unkindness are resolved quickly.
• Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum and achieve well.
• Personal development provision is rich, coherent and exemplary.
• Early years children get off to a flying start through skilful play-based teaching.
• Attendance has improved significantly due to strong pastoral and well-being support.
• Pupils with SEND are a high priority and are identified early and accurately.
• Governors fulfil their roles very well and provide effective support and scrutiny.
• The school offers an exceptionally wide and well-planned set of opportunities.
• Phonics provision has improved and pupils quickly become confident readers.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some curriculum areas, activities do not help pupils learn the intended knowledge successfully.
• Curriculum delivery is not yet consistently effective in a few aspects.
• Some SEND interventions are not planned as effectively as they could be.
• Some SEND interventions cause pupils to miss key classroom learning and can create new gaps.
• A few older pupils, including some with SEND, have gaps in their reading knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 30.9% of pupils at Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School received £6,439 and spent £6,468 for each of its 178 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £23,000 (£127 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Sudbury · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

What is Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have?

Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 178 pupils on roll.

What age range does Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School cover?

Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Stone Street Road, Boxford, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 5NP.