Grace Cook Primary School

  • Primary
  • Free school
  • Ages 2 to 11
Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding

Fuller Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1GGOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Grace Cook Primary School is a primary school in Stowmarket for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 357 schools in Suffolk. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 4 February 2025, report published 12 March 2025

This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 February 2025

Pupils attending the Grace Cook Primary School enjoy a safe and caring community. They work with staff who ensure that the school aims of 'dream, believe, achieve' are part of everyday school life. Pupils can share any worries with staff, who they know will help them. They are confident and kind to one another. The school encourages pupils to be curious learners. Pupils have opportunities to be creative and share their ideas with others. Children in the Nursery and Reception particularly benefit from a range of stimulating activities. The school's focus on early language starts in the early years and ensures pupils build strong communication skills from the start. As a result, pupils are confident to talk about their learning. They like to challenge themselves and tackle the tasks set by their teachers with enthusiasm. As a result, pupils engage in lessons and achieve well. The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations. They model these in everything they do. For example, older pupils support younger pupils in the playground through the play leader programme. Pupils learn in a calm environment. The school has carefully considered the design of classrooms and use of resources to ensure that pupils focus on their learning and do not become easily distracted.

What the school should improve

  • In some subjects, the school has not identified precisely the knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means teachers do not consistently deliver the curriculum as the school intends. The school should review the curriculum content in some subjects and provide clear guidance to teachers. This will ensure that pupils learn the intended curriculum and do not have gaps in their knowledge.
  • The school does not consistently assess the implementation of the curriculum. This means the impact is not evaluated regularly. The school should provide training to all leaders and develop a structured quality assurance programme. This will ensure that there is a consistent approach so that leaders know how well pupils are achieving across the curriculum areas they lead.

Pupil numbers and mix

203 pupils on roll, with places for 270

Eligible for free school meals9.9%

9.9%, 16.6 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language3.9%

3.9%, 17.7 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support14.3%

14.3%, 0.5 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.9%

3.9%, 2.1 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Grace Cook Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Wood Ley Community Primary School0.4 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standard49% met the expected standard
Chilton Community Primary School0.7 milesOfsted: Good68% met the expected standard
Abbot's Hall Community Primary School1 mileOfsted: Good63% met the expected standard
Cedars Park Community Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good72% met the expected standard
Crawford's Church of England Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good62% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Free schools
Sector
Free school
Trust
ORWELL MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
2 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mrs Lisa Mayes
Address
Fuller Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1GG
Local authority
Suffolk
URN
149067

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.