Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
The Street, Capel St Mary, Ipswich, IP9 2EGOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school in Ipswich for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 357 schools in Suffolk. It ranks 24th of 55 primary schools in Ipswich. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2020.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 10 March 2020, report published 10 May 2020
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 7 May 2025
Pupils enjoy coming to this warm and welcoming school. They embody the 'Capel' values of 'care, achieve, persevere, enjoy, learn'. Pupils rise to the school's high expectations of their behaviour. Pupils continually show respect to each other and adults. They feel safe, knowing that their trusted adults will resolve any worries. Pupils are keen to do their best in lessons. They have meaningful opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom. For example, working with a historian to add realism to their narrative writing. Pupils also complete field work, experience a 'CSI' workshop, and visit local farms and historical sites. Many pupils enjoy learning and achieve well. Pupils can participate in a wide array of clubs to help extend their talents and interests. These include Lego, French, art, dance and multi sports. Pupils perform in rock and roll bands, class performances and local sporting festivals. Pupils can adopt purposeful leadership roles. This includes being faith or school councillors. The school's 'eco club' advises the school on recycling, with class monitors actively helping their teachers. This helps pupils prepare to be responsible citizens of the future.
What the school should improve
- The curriculum does not consistently provide opportunities for pupils to consolidate and extend their knowledge and skills. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could in certain areas. The school should ensure that the curriculum is designed and delivered to help pupils practise, develop and deepen their learning across subjects.
- On occasions, explanations do not provide pupils with enough guidance on how to complete a task successfully. As a result, some pupils do not complete tasks or demonstrate their understanding. The school should ensure that teaching considers how explanations can be broken down so that all pupils engage in tasks which will help them learn.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
38 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
273 pupils on roll, with places for 315
Schools near Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| East Bergholt Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 73% met the expected standard |
| Copdock Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 50% met the expected standard |
| Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 43% met the expected standard |
| Brooklands Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 71% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Andrew Frolish
- Phone
- 01473310386
- Address
- The Street, Capel St Mary, Ipswich, IP9 2EG
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- URN
- 124749
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.