Culford School
Culford, Bury St. Edmunds, IP28 6TX
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 1 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Methodist
- Headteacher
- Claire Bentley
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- West Suffolk
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 885
- Pupils on roll
- 863
- URN
- 124886
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01284728615
About this school
Culford School is a Methodist independent school in Bury St. Edmunds. It teaches children aged 1 to 19 and has 863 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Culford School under its current framework. 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
Culford School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in September 1980, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 105 | 105 | 108 |
| Attainment 8 score | 32.3 | 28.2 | 31.3 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 1% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Culford 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 | 32.3 | 37.4 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 28.2 | 37.3 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 31.3 | 36 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 848 |
| 2023/24 | 877 |
| 2024/25 | 895 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 0
- Pupils on SEN support
- 213
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Albany2.8 miles
Academies · Bury St. Edmunds
-
Abbey Gardens School2.8 miles
Special schools · Bury St Edmunds
-
Priory School4.1 miles
Academies · Bury St Edmunds
-
Learning Support, Western Area Education Office4.4 miles
Other types · Bury St Edmunds
-
Sir Peter Hall School4.7 miles
Free Schools · Bury St. Edmunds
Other schools in Bury St. Edmunds
- Great Whelnetham Church of England Primary School Primary
- Ixworth Church of England Primary School Primary
- Rougham Church of England Primary School Primary
- St Edmundsbury CofE Primary Academy Primary
- Stanton Primary School Primary
- The Pines Primary School Primary
- Thurston Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- West Row Academy Primary
- Sybil Andrews Academy Secondary
- Riverwalk School Academies
- Sir Peter Hall School Free Schools
- The Albany Academies
Common questions
- What year groups does Culford School teach?
- Culford School teaches children aged 1 to 19. It is an independent school in Bury St. Edmunds.
- Who is the headteacher of Culford School?
- The headteacher of Culford School is Claire Bentley, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Culford School been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Culford School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How big is Culford School?
- Culford School has 863 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 1 to 19.
- Is Culford School full?
- Culford School has capacity for 885 pupils and 863 on roll (98%), 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 Culford School a faith school?
- Yes. Culford School is designated Methodist.
- How have Culford School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 32.3 in 2022/23 and 31.3 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Culford School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Culford 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 24 July 2026.