Grove Primary School

Grove Primary School has achieved a good overall effectiveness rating in its recent inspection, marking a significant improvement from its previous requires improvement status. The school is celebrated for its welcoming environment, where pupils feel happy and proud to attend. Strong relationships between staff and students contribute to a positive atmosphere, and there is a commendable focus on personal development and emotional well-being. Leaders and governors demonstrate a commitment to improving education quality, and this is reflected in the ambitious curriculum and strong performance in reading and writing.

Strengths

• Welcoming community that celebrates diversity.
• High expectations and strong relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective support for pupils' emotional well-being.
• Wide range of extra-curricular clubs available for students.
• Strong emphasis on reading skills and daily reading practices.
• Outstanding early years provision with stimulating activities.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is well-managed.
• Positive attitudes and behaviours among pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• A few foundation subjects lack well-developed planning and assessment.

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 Grove Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.0% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Grove 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 Grove Primary School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.6% 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, 15.8% of pupils at Grove Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% 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 2024–25 Grove Primary School received £6,308 and spent £6,780 for each of its 307 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £366,000 (£1,192 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of The Active Learning Trust Limited, income was £8,366 and spending £8,624 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Grove Primary School is part of The Active Learning Trust Limited, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Westwood Primary School Lowestoft
• Pakefield Primary School Lowestoft
• Red Oak Primary School Lowestoft
• Ravensmere Infant School Beccles
• The Albert Pye Community Primary School Beccles
• Reydon Primary School Southwold
• Loddon Junior School Norwich
• Loddon Infant and Nursery School Norwich
• Sidegate Primary School Ipswich
• Hillside Primary School Ipswich

What is Grove Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Grove Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Grove Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Grove Primary School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Grove Primary School have?

Grove Primary School has 304 pupils on roll.

What age range does Grove Primary School cover?

Grove Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Grove Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Grove Primary School?

Grove Primary School is at Framfield Road, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 8RQ.