West Row Academy

West Row Academy has improved significantly in recent years, with leaders accurately identifying weaknesses and taking rapid action. Leadership and governance is judged strong, while achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing are all at the expected standard. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is part of the Unity Schools Partnership multi-academy trust and has an on-site specially resourced provision, The Hub, for pupils with severe learning difficulties. Pupils enjoy school, attend well and behave respectfully. They learn to read well from the early years, and attainment in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics is broadly in line with national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils. The curriculum is ambitious and well organised, and staff receive high-quality professional development. The Hub provides effective support for pupils with severe learning difficulties, and inclusion is a clear strength. Some inconsistencies remain. In a few foundation subjects, staff do not always check pupils’ understanding well enough to address gaps and misconceptions quickly. Some targets for pupils needing additional support are not precise or measurable, and the range of clubs and wider opportunities is still being expanded. Leaders know these areas and are working to make provision consistently strong across all key stages and subjects.

Strengths

• Leadership and governance is strong, with rapid and accurate improvement to provision.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, building knowledge over time.
• Pupils read often and read well, with prompt support for those who need extra help.
• Attainment in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics is close to national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils attend well and behave respectfully, with clear routines and consistent staff expectations.
• Early years provision is effective, especially in developing speech, language and communication.
• The Hub provides effective teaching and support for pupils with severe learning difficulties.
• Inclusion is effective, with clear processes to identify needs and support pupils joining at different times.
• Personal development prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain, including safety, relationships and citizenship.
• Staff are positive about working at the school and benefit from high-quality professional development.
• Trustees ensure statutory responsibilities are met and funds are appropriately spent.
• Parents are increasingly positive about the school because they can see improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Some inconsistencies in provision remain across key stages and subjects.
• In a few foundation subjects, staff do not check pupils’ understanding well enough, leaving knowledge less secure.
• Assessment checks are not always used rigorously to identify and address gaps and misconceptions quickly.
• Some targets for pupils needing additional support are less precise and measurable, making progress harder to verify.
• The curriculum is not yet taught consistently well across all key stages and subjects.
• Support for pupils who find it hard to focus on learning is not consistently effective.
• The range of clubs, trips and events is still being expanded, and participation is not maximised for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

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 West Row Academy attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.1% 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, 1.0% of pupils at West Row 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 West Row Academy had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.1% 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, 14.4% of pupils at West Row Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 12.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 22 pupils.

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 West Row Academy received £7,787 and spent £7,836 for each of its 195 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £59,000 (£305 per pupil).

Across all 39 schools of Unity Schools Partnership, income was £8,494 and spending £8,500 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

West Row Academy is part of Unity Schools Partnership, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Laureate Community Academy Newmarket
• Newmarket Academy Newmarket
• Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy Newmarket
• Breckland School Brandon
• Ditton Lodge Primary School Newmarket
• Tollgate Primary School Bury St Edmunds
• Bury St Edmunds County High School Bury St Edmunds
• Wickhambrook Primary Academy Newmarket
• Sir Peter Hall School Bury St. Edmunds
• Abbots Green Primary Academy Bury St Edmunds

What is West Row Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Row Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was West Row Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

West Row Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does West Row Academy have?

West Row Academy has 208 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Row Academy cover?

West Row Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is West Row Academy?

West Row Academy is at Beeches Road, West Row, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 8NY.