Sir Peter Hall School
Airfield Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7PJOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Sir Peter Hall School is a special school in Bury St Edmunds for ages 9 to 16. It is one of the 357 schools in Suffolk. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 17 June 2025, report published 13 July 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
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 17 June 2025
Many pupils arrive at the school with poor experiences of education. Some pupils have low confidence because they have not been in a school for some time. The school changes pupils' negative perspectives of themselves. Attending this school makes a positive difference to pupils' lives. Carefully thought through transitions help pupils settle into school life. Staff take the time to get to know the pupils' individual needs. Well-considered support helps pupils to reflect on their behaviour and live up to the school's high expectations. Staff quickly recognise if pupils are having a tricky time and put in place effective support. Consequently, pupils re- engage with their learning and build trust with staff and each other. Pupils gain confidence in their own abilities and what they can achieve. They gain relevant qualifications and experiences that support them for life beyond the school gates. Pupils progress well from their varied starting points. A variety of high-quality experiences enrich pupils' day-to-day curriculum. Pupils have opportunities that are interesting or new, for instance horse riding, attending film clubs and cooking. Sporting opportunities build a sense of team spirit and help pupils feel proud of their school and themselves.
What the school should improve
- There are times, when the school does not ensure that teaching supports pupils to learn new knowledge successfully. In these instances, pupils do not learn subject content as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that staff implement the school's curriculum effectively.
- Recent and rapid changes in leadership have been unsettling for some staff. Some staff are not always fully aware of the purpose of the changes that leaders make. This means not everyone is onboard or understands the important changes that positively affect pupils. Leaders should ensure staff get effective support to understand the school's systems and processes to reinforce the schools' strong values and practices.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
9 pupils took the tests
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
15 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
56 pupils on roll, with places for 70
Schools near Sir Peter Hall School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priory School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 0.1 |
| Riverwalk School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 0% met the expected standard |
| Abbey Gardens School | 3 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
| Centre Academy East Anglia | 8 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 10.7 |
| Gable End | 11 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Free schools special
- Sector
- Free school
- Trust
- UNITY SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP
- Age range
- 9 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Miss Ros Towns
- Phone
- 01284649006
- Address
- Airfield Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7PJ
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- URN
- 149108
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.