School Context Comparator

Exam results say a lot about a school's pupils, not just its teaching. A school where many children are disadvantaged or have special educational needs will usually have lower results, even if it's doing a great job. This compares each school with what you'd expect from the pupils it teaches.

Primary and junior schools in East Suffolk: SATs results in context

% meeting the expected standard, average of the three years to 2024/25. Each numbered dot is a school (see the table below). Above the line means better results than you'd expect from its pupils; the shaded strip is "about what you'd expect".

  • Better than expected
  • About as expected
  • Below expected

The faint grey dots behind are every other school in England, for comparison.

Outlined in black: the school you compared (marked "Compared" in the table).

Green ring: low teacher turnover – among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay (three-year average).

20203030404050506060707080809090Better than expectedBelow expectedExpected % (from the school's pupils)Actual % meeting the expected standard12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667
20203030404050506060707080809090Better than expectedBelow expectedExpected %Actual % meeting the expected standard12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667

Loading stats for 13,485 schools across England…

Did you know? In a class of 30, one child moves a school's SATs percentage by more than 3 points - which is why we use a three-year average. How this works

How each school compares

# School Compared with what you'd expect Actual Expected Gap Disadvantaged SEN EAL Pupils(3 years) Teacher turnover(a year)
1 Red Oak Primary School Well above 87% 48% +39.0 60% 47% 3% 173 8%low
2 Elm Tree Primary School Well above 82% 62% +20.1 40% 9% 2% 145 16%above average
3 Grove Primary School Well above 75% 62% +13.2 27% 22% 2% 126 22%high
4 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Woodbridge Well above 76% 63% +13.1 9% 36% 5% 79 0%
5 Westwood Primary School Above 68% 56% +11.8 45% 27% 0% 77 26%high
6 The Albert Pye Community Primary School Above 71% 61% +10.5 31% 24% 4% 171 21%high
7 Eyke Church of England Primary School Above 77% 67% +10.3 11% 17% 0% 48 19%
8 Oulton Broad Primary School Above 77% 67% +9.9 19% 9% 5% 140 6%low
9 Wickham Market Primary School Above 68% 59% +9.1 33% 29% 4% 66 16%
10 Beccles Primary Academy Above 61% 52% +8.7 46% 42% 0% 88 28%
11 Woods Loke Primary School Above 71% 62% +8.6 31% 15% 0% 178 8%low
12 St Margaret's Primary Academy Above 61% 55% +6.5 54% 28% 9% 171 26%high
13 Kelsale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Above 71% 65% +6.4 22% 15% 0% 75 17%
14 Martlesham Primary Academy Above 66% 60% +6.4 50% 8% 0% 47 20%
15 Broke Hall Community Primary School Above 73% 68% +5.4 14% 14% 12% 270 8%low
16 Northfield St Nicholas Primary Academy Above 59% 54% +5.1 57% 27% 8% 153 13%below average
17 Blundeston Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Compared As expected 65% 61% +4.5 38% 17% 3% 88 20%
18 Ringsfield Church of England Primary School As expected 62% 58% +4.0 21% 43% 0% 39 26%
19 Langer Primary Academy As expected 54% 50% +3.9 55% 45% 10% 54 49%
20 Grundisburgh Primary School As expected 70% 68% +1.6 4% 17% 0% 67 3%
21 Kessingland Church of England Primary Academy As expected 61% 59% +1.6 39% 21% 4% 90 21%high
22 Wenhaston Primary School As expected 68% 67% +1.3 7% 21% 0% 37 8%
23 Gunton Primary Academy As expected 64% 63% +0.8 33% 11% 4% 134 18%above average
24 Witnesham Primary School As expected 59% 58% +0.7 27% 36% 0% 39 17%
25 Corton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School As expected 56% 56% −0.2 43% 29% 0% 48 5%
26 Heath Primary School, Kesgrave As expected 66% 66% −0.3 20% 14% 14% 259 11%below average
27 Brampton Church of England Primary School As expected 65% 66% −0.5 13% 20% 0% 44 22%
28 Saxmundham Primary School As expected 56% 57% −0.5 44% 28% 5% 124 24%high
29 Woodbridge Primary School As expected 64% 65% −0.8 20% 16% 0% 84 9%
30 Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School As expected 65% 66% −0.8 12% 20% 0% 139 7%low
31 Framlingham Sir Robert Hitcham's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School As expected 64% 65% −1.2 17% 19% 5% 157 16%above average
32 Poplars Community Primary School As expected 53% 54% −1.2 51% 30% 2% 168 24%high
33 Dennington Church of England Primary School As expected 60% 62% −1.5 33% 17% 0% 31 5%
34 Gorseland Primary School As expected 65% 67% −2.0 10% 19% 7% 195 13%below average
35 Reydon Primary School As expected 58% 61% −2.7 15% 38% 0% 80 36%
36 Trimley St Martin Primary School As expected 60% 63% −2.9 24% 21% 3% 87 10%
37 Pakefield Primary School As expected 61% 65% −3.6 25% 12% 0% 173 25%high
38 Ilketshall St Lawrence School As expected 57% 61% −4.4 19% 31% 0% 46 9%
39 Dell Primary School Below 55% 60% −5.4 43% 13% 4% 166 7%low
40 Phoenix St Peter Academy Below 57% 63% −5.6 42% 5% 5% 87 21%
41 Leiston Primary School Below 50% 56% −5.7 46% 30% 6% 133 19%above average
42 Bealings School Below 63% 69% −6.1 0% 20% 7% 43 30%
43 Bucklesham Primary School Below 46% 53% −6.8 43% 43% 0% 37 12%
44 Bramfield Church of England Primary School Below 60% 68% −7.5 17% 8% 0% 35 14%
45 Easton Primary School Below 56% 64% −7.9 33% 7% 0% 39 10%
46 Cedarwood Primary School Below 57% 66% −8.5 10% 25% 7% 181 15%above average
47 Birchwood Primary School Below 60% 70% −10.1 3% 13% 7% 90 12%
48 Aldeburgh Primary School Below 54% 65% −10.8 18% 18% 0% 35 7%
49 Earl Soham Community Primary School Below 55% 66% −10.8 19% 13% 0% 42 0%
50 Holton St Peter Community Primary School Below 52% 63% −10.9 19% 25% 0% 44 7%
51 Sandlings Primary School Well below 56% 70% −13.8 9% 9% 9% 32 19%
52 Barnby and North Cove Community Primary School Well below 47% 61% −14.3 0% 50% 0% 32 29%
53 Edgar Sewter Community Primary School Well below 44% 59% −14.5 43% 20% 2% 132 15%above average
54 Grange Community Primary School Well below 53% 68% −15.1 4% 22% 13% 76 19%above average
55 Nacton Church of England Primary School Well below 49% 64% −15.3 13% 27% 7% 43 36%
56 Melton Primary School Well below 47% 63% −15.5 21% 26% 5% 68 18%
57 Felix Primary School Well below 35% 51% −15.6 54% 44% 10% 145 35%high
58 Trimley St Mary Primary School Well below 45% 62% −16.9 29% 20% 2% 173 11%below average
59 Bungay Primary School Well below 38% 55% −17.1 48% 32% 12% 79 14%below average
60 Kingsfleet Primary School Well below 49% 67% −17.8 17% 14% 10% 86 5%
61 St Benet's RC Primary School and Nursery Well below 45% 65% −20.4 23% 15% 15% 38 15%
62 St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School Well below 47% 69% −21.5 14% 11% 14% 88 19%above average
63 Yoxford & Peasenhall Primary Academy Well below 28% 50% −22.1 40% 60% 10% 32 20%
64 Roman Hill Primary School Well below 31% 53% −22.2 52% 36% 12% 213 19%above average
65 Rendlesham Primary School Well below 44% 68% −24.0 7% 17% 4% 136 17%above average
66 St Edmund's RC Primary School and Nursery Well below 24% 52% −27.9 54% 38% 8% 37 47%
67 Coldfair Green Community Primary School Well below 38% 70% −32.0 17% 0% 8% 48 23%

Results are the average of the last three Year 6 groups, which is steadier than a single year. Pupil percentages are for the latest Year 6. Disadvantaged: eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, or looked after by the council. SEN: special educational needs (SEN support or an EHC plan). EAL: English as an additional language.

Not compared

How this works

We looked at every comparable state primary and junior school in England (14,315 schools) to see how SATs results usually change with the make-up of a year group. On average:

  • For every 10 more disadvantaged pupils in every 100, the share meeting the expected standard is about 2.4 percentage points lower.
  • For every 10 more pupils with SEN in every 100, it's about 2.4 percentage points lower.
  • For every 10 more pupils with English as an additional language in every 100, it's about 0.7 percentage points higher. Pupils learning English often catch up quickly.

From those, each school gets an expected result for its own pupils, which we compare with its actual result. Primary year groups are small – in a class of 30, one child moves the percentage by more than 3 points – so we use the three-year average and allow for each school's own pupil numbers: a small school needs a bigger gap before we call it above or below what you'd expect.

What we found: schools where teachers stay

We put every primary and junior school's result-against-expected next to its teacher turnover – the share of its teachers who moved to another school or left state schools each year, averaged over three years (DfE school workforce census). Across 8,274 schools in England, split into four equal groups by turnover:

Teacher turnoverTypical turnoverResults vs expectedDid better than expected
Lowest turnover 7% a year +1.8 pts 40%
Lower-middle 12% a year +1.2 pts 37%
Upper-middle 17% a year +0.7 pts 36%
Highest turnover 26% a year −1.2 pts 32%

The pattern is the same as for secondary schools but weaker, and most of the difference is in the quarter of schools where teachers leave most often (−1.2 percentage points, against +1.8 for the lowest-turnover quarter). Primary staffs are small and SATs results move around from year to year, which blurs the picture.

A link isn't proof that one causes the other: losing teachers may hold results back, and a school that's struggling for other reasons (leadership, for example) may also lose more teachers. Nationally, turnover is fairly steady from year to year and teachers who move are replaced – but between schools it varies a lot, from under one teacher in ten a year to more than one in five. The green rings on the chart mark the lowest-turnover quarter.

What it can't tell you

  • These three things explain only about 18% of the differences between schools. Much of what makes a school stronger or weaker, and much about its pupils, isn't captured by any published figure.
  • Even averaged over three years, small schools' results move around a lot, so treat close calls as roughly equal.
  • It isn't an excuse for lower results. It shows how a school does compared with schools teaching similar pupils, so you can compare more fairly.
  • We deliberately don't adjust for attendance or exclusions: those are partly down to the school itself.

Source: Department for Education, Key Stage 2 performance data (2024/25). Calculated by The School Companion.