Poplars Community Primary School

Poplars Community Primary School is a strongly inclusive school that is performing well overall. Attendance and behaviour are particular strengths: pupils attend above national averages, persistent absence is low, and behaviour is calm and positive, with bullying rare. Early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing are all strong. Pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and pupils known to social care are identified quickly and supported effectively, and pupils benefit from a broad enrichment offer and strong pastoral care. Leadership has responded well to a recent period of change and to weaknesses from the previous inspection, strengthening attendance, behaviour, inclusivity and staff training. The trust and governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff feel valued. Safeguarding requirements are met. Achievement and curriculum are solid but not yet as strong as other areas: outcomes have improved, with combined reading, writing and mathematics above national in 2025, but historical attainment has been lower, especially at the higher standard by the end of key stage 2. The main next steps are to ensure teachers use assessment information more precisely to adapt learning so pupils build securely on prior knowledge across all subjects, and to increase the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. The school serves a community with well-above-average free school meals eligibility and SEN support, making its inclusive practice notable.

Strengths

• Attendance is consistently above national averages, with persistent absence well below national figures.
• Behaviour is extremely positive in lessons and social times, and bullying or discrimination is rare.
• Early years provision is inclusive, stimulating and closely matched to children's developmental needs.
• A highly inclusive culture ensures disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and pupils known to social care thrive.
• Leaders identify additional needs early and provide effective, closely monitored support.
• Leadership has addressed previous inspection weaknesses and strengthened attendance, behaviour and inclusion.
• Staff receive high-quality, well-planned training and benefit from trust-wide collaboration.
• Personal development and wellbeing support is effective, including strong online safety and pastoral care.
• Pupils benefit from a broad enrichment programme, with participation tracked to ensure access.
• Pupils are confident, resilient and respectful, with a secure understanding of British values.
• Core skills in reading, writing and mathematics are prioritised, with systematic phonics and same-day support.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes have improved and the disadvantage gap is narrowing.

Areas for Improvement

• Historically, fewer pupils reach the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 than nationally.
• At times, learning is not adapted precisely enough, so some pupils do not build on prior learning as well as they could.
• Teachers do not always use assessment information precisely enough to adapt learning across all subjects.

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 Poplars Community Primary School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.0% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Poplars Community 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 Poplars Community Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.6% 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, 22.3% of pupils at Poplars Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.9% 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 Poplars Community Primary School received £8,260 and spent £7,832 for each of its 271 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £250,000 (£923 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Evolution Academy Trust, income was £6,922 and spending £7,234 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

Poplars Community Primary School is part of Evolution Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Dell Primary School Lowestoft
• Elm Tree Primary School Lowestoft
• Filby Primary School Great Yarmouth
• Bignold Primary School and Nursery Norwich
• Angel Road Junior School Norwich
• Angel Road Infant School Norwich
• Eaton Primary School Norwich
• Coldfair Green Community Primary School Saxmundham
• Nelson Infant School Norwich
• Wensum Junior School Norwich

What is Poplars Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Poplars Community Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Poplars Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Poplars Community Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Poplars Community Primary School have?

Poplars Community Primary School has 260 pupils on roll.

What age range does Poplars Community Primary School cover?

Poplars Community Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Poplars Community Primary School?

Poplars Community Primary School is at St Margaret's Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 4HN.