Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all domains. The school provides a calm and caring environment where pupils are happy and feel valued. Pupils benefit from a well-structured curriculum that is taught effectively by skilled teachers, encouraging them to engage and strive for their personal best. The school also places a strong emphasis on supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring that all students are included in school life and receive the help they need to succeed.

Strengths

• Pupils learn an interesting curriculum from skilled teachers.
• The school effectively promotes positive behaviour and attitudes.
• Staff provide excellent support for students with special educational needs.
• Children in the early years receive a balanced learning experience.
• Pupils have access to a variety of extra-curricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects like art lack consistent curriculum implementation.
• Opportunities to rehearse key skills in some subjects are underdeveloped.

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 Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.4% 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 Whatfield 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 Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 9.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.1% 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, 9.1% of pupils at Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 18.2% 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

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

Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was last inspected in October 2023.

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

Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 44 pupils on roll.

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

Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

Where is Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Rectory Road, Whatfield, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 6QU.