Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Aylmer Close, Risby, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 6RT
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher (Interim)
- Mrs Lucy Smith
- Diocese
- Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
- Constituency
- West Suffolk
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 203
- URN
- 124712
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01284810367
About this school
Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Bury St Edmunds. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 203 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 28 | 31 | 26 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 68% | 71% | 54% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 4% | 6% | 8% |
| Expected standard in reading | 86% | 84% | 73% |
| Expected standard in maths | 75% | 81% | 73% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 71% | 71% | 73% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 107.0 | 110.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.30 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.60 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -0.40 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Suffolk average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 68% | 54.3% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 71% | 55.4% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 54% | 57.1% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 207 |
| 2023/24 | 207 |
| 2024/25 | 202 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School compares
Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 152nd of 225 primary schools in Suffolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 28% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 76% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 54% | 4.4% | 8.9% | 203 | — |
| Sexton's Manor Primary School | 27% | 5.4% | 23.9% | 165 | 2.4 miles |
| Howard Community Academy | 36% | 7.4% | 47.2% | 210 | 2.5 miles |
| Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 67% | 3.1% | 10.6% | 199 | 2.7 miles |
| Tollgate Primary School | 68% | 6.1% | 30.7% | 437 | 3.0 miles |
| St Edmundsbury CofE Primary Academy | 25% | 5.3% | 27.6% | 168 | 3.1 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 8.91%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 4.37%
- Persistent absence
- 8.52%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Sexton's Manor Primary School2.4 miles
Primary · Bury St Edmunds
-
Howard Community Academy2.5 miles
Primary · Bury St Edmunds
-
Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School2.7 miles
Primary · Bury St Edmunds
-
Tollgate Primary School3.0 miles
Primary · Bury St Edmunds
-
St Edmundsbury CofE Primary Academy3.1 miles
Primary · Bury St. Edmunds
Other schools in Bury St Edmunds
Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranks 17th of the 26 ranked primary schools in Bury St Edmunds.
- Abbots Green Primary Academy Primary
- All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Lawshall Primary
- Bardwell Church of England Primary School Primary
- Barningham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Beck Row Primary Academy Primary
- Cockfield Church of England Primary School Primary
- Elmswell Community Primary School Primary
- Great Barton Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Great Heath Academy Primary
- Guildhall Feoffment Community Primary School Primary
- Hardwick Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School teach?
- Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Bury St Edmunds.
- Who is the headteacher (interim) of Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- The headteacher (interim) of Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Mrs Lucy Smith, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 203 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School full?
- Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 203 on roll (97%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
- Does Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 68% in 2022/23 and 54% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School rank locally?
- Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 152nd of 225 primary schools in Suffolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 28% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 76% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's absence rate?
- Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Risby Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.