Beck Row Primary Academy

Beck Row Primary Academy has improved significantly since its previous inspection and is now performing well across all key areas. The school provides a positive and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. The curriculum is well-structured and designed to meet the needs of the students, with a strong focus on developing essential knowledge and skills. Parents have noted the ongoing improvements in communication and leadership presence, which have positively impacted the school community. Despite these strengths, there are still areas for development, particularly in ensuring that all staff are fully equipped to teach the curriculum effectively. While teachers generally have high expectations and support pupils’ learning well, there are instances where some staff struggle to adapt lessons appropriately. This can occasionally limit students' opportunities to thoroughly practice and understand new concepts. Overall, the school is on the right path but should continue to focus on consistency in teaching practices to further enhance student outcomes.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a safe and friendly learning environment.
• High expectations from teachers lead to increased confidence in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Staff effectively support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• The curriculum is well planned and meets the needs of the school community.
• Positive behavior and attitudes are cultivated through the school's 'Beck Row Way'.
• Effective training and professional development for staff create continuity and expertise.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers struggle to adapt lessons effectively to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Opportunities for pupils to practice new knowledge are not always sufficient.

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 Beck Row Primary Academy attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.6% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Beck Row Primary Academy 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 Beck Row Primary Academy had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.0% 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, 18.1% of pupils at Beck Row Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Beck Row Primary Academy received £6,951 and spent £6,403 for each of its 243 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £43,000 (£178 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Academy Transformation Trust, income was £9,055 and spending £8,540 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 Bury St Edmunds · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

Beck Row Primary Academy is part of Academy Transformation Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Great Heath Academy Bury St Edmunds
• Mildenhall College Academy Mildenhall
• Iceni Primary Academy Hockwold Cum Wilton
• Iceni Secondary Academy Thetford
• The Nicholas Hamond Academy Swaffham
• Westbourne Academy Ipswich
• Kingsmoor Academy Harlow
• Ravens Academy Clacton-On-Sea
• The Hathaway Academy Grays
• The Dukeries Academy Newark

What is Beck Row Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beck Row Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Beck Row Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Beck Row Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Beck Row Primary Academy have?

Beck Row Primary Academy has 243 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beck Row Primary Academy cover?

Beck Row Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Beck Row Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Beck Row Primary Academy?

Beck Row Primary Academy is at The Street, Beck Row, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 8AE.