Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a highly effective, inclusive primary school where pupils are happy, safe and achieve very well. Inspectors found exemplary provision across the curriculum, teaching, behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years, with pupils with SEND particularly well supported. The school has resolved the areas for improvement from its previous inspection and has a strong family ethos underpinned by respectful relationships and a clear vision and values. The curriculum is exceptionally well designed and delivered, including in early years, and pupils benefit from expert teaching, strong reading and phonics provision, and a wide range of extra-curricular and leadership opportunities. Behaviour is exemplary, attendance is above average and safeguarding is effective. A small number of pupils do not attend regularly enough, but the school is working well with families to remove barriers. Governors are knowledgeable and effective, staff morale is high, and leaders evaluate their work carefully. This was a graded section 5 inspection; under arrangements from September 2024, no overall effectiveness grade was awarded.

Strengths

• Exceptionally well-designed and delivered curriculum across subjects and early years
• Expert teaching with clear explanations and effective adaption to pupils’ needs
• Precise identification and very strong support for pupils with SEND
• Strong early reading and phonics provision, with pupils reading fluently and widely
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and respectful relationships throughout the school
• Happy, inclusive and safe school culture with a strong family ethos
• Broad extra-curricular opportunities and meaningful pupil leadership roles
• Personal development strongly underpinned by the school’s vision and values
• Knowledgeable governors providing effective challenge and support
• High staff morale and strong staff involvement in shaping the school’s vision
• Attendance above average and effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of pupils do not attend school regularly enough

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 Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.4% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 21.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.3% 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, 14.8% of pupils at Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% 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 Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School received £6,373 and spent £6,549 for each of its 324 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £132,000 (£409 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 Beccles · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

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

Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

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

Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 324 pupils on roll.

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

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

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

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Garden Lane, Worlingham, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7SB.