Academy converter

St Benedict's Catholic School

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth form · Roman CatholicSuffolk, East of England · Bury St Edmunds IP32 6RHTrust: Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi Academy TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
968of 852 places
Free school meals
11.6%
Year 11 cohort 2025
159
Ofsted
Standards maintained, 4 June 2025Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Benedict's Catholic School (URN 124861, until 1 September 2022).

What the data says

Of the 146 pupils who finished Year 11 at St Benedict's Catholic School in 2023, 60% stayed on in St Benedict's Catholic School’s own sixth form (Suffolk average 39%), 30% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 76 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 59% went to university (Suffolk 26%, England 37%), and 38% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 24% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.

GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 49.8 against 46.1 across England and 42.8 in Suffolk, with 50% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Suffolk and England.

This school
Suffolk
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Pupils in the cohort1467,591607,348
Any sustained destination95%93%92%
Stayed in education92%87%86%
— school sixth form60%39%34%
— sixth form college3%5%13%
— further education college30%42%37%
— other education0%2%2%
Apprenticeship1%3%3%
Employment1%3%3%
No sustained destination3%5%6%
Destination unknown2%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

This school
Suffolk
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Students in the cohort767,162541,441
Any sustained destination84%79%79%
University (higher education)59%26%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students38%10%19%
Further education0%6%5%
Apprenticeship3%10%7%
Employment22%36%28%
No sustained destination9%16%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)49.842.846.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths50%40%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths72%61%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects55%27%41%
EBacc average point score4.603.704.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort15%25%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils28.930.834.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils53.346.750.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language22%10%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics15497%88%14%22%79%
English Language15497%89%22%20%78%
English Literature15396%86%17%21%82%
Religious Studies15195%31%18%32%63%
Combined Science9459%65%5%9%71%
Geography8151%41%20%25%72%
History7145%41%27%26%79%
Physics5836%23%31%46%100%
Biology5836%23%36%45%100%
Chemistry5836%23%38%47%100%
Business Studies4931%18%14%20%51%
Spanish4528%19%24%27%73%
Art and Design3824%7%50%24%95%
Physical Education3623%11%22%24%69%
French3119%18%42%29%65%
Design and Technology2918%11%21%23%76%
Computer Science2314%13%17%30%74%
Statistics2013%5%50%20%100%
Food Preparation and Nutrition1811%8%6%21%50%
Polish159%1%80%84%93%
Music138%5%15%33%77%
Textiles53%2%27%
Drama53%7%27%
Portuguese32%0%50%
Italian21%0%53%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study146
— of whom A level students812,713261,341
Average A level gradeB-C+B-
Average points per A level entry35.8031.8835.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB-C+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects15%11%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics2531%31%
Biology2227%20%
Chemistry2126%17%
Physics1923%12%
Psychology1519%23%
Geography1417%10%
Sociology1316%13%
History1114%13%
Economics1114%13%
English Literature1114%11%
Computer Science1012%5%
Religious Studies911%4%
Classical Civilisation810%1%
Further Mathematics810%5%
Fine Art79%3%
Spanish79%2%
French79%1%
Product Design67%2%
Polish0%
Politics6%
History of Art0%
Physical Education3%
Portuguese0%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)2227%
Medical ScienceVRQ Level 367%
Applied BusinessVRQ Level 3
MathematicsGCE AS level (All)
MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Health StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3

Other secondary schools in Suffolk

Alde Valley Academy

Academy sponsor led · 645 pupils

80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.7

Breckland School

Free schools · 615 pupils

81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.4

Bungay High School

Academy converter · sixth form · 922 pupils

90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.