Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy
The Boundaries, Geldeston Road, Beccles, NR34 0HT
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE DIOCESE OF NORWICH EDUCATION AND ACADEMIES TRUST
- Headteacher
- Heather Brand
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
- Sponsor
- The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust
- Constituency
- South Norfolk
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 60
- Pupils on roll
- 41
- URN
- 141778
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01502713425
About this school
Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Beccles. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 41 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out 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
- Good
- 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 | 10 | 13 | 10 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 70% | 69% | 70% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 20% | 8% | 10% |
| Expected standard in reading | 70% | 85% | 80% |
| Expected standard in maths | 80% | 85% | 90% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 90% | 77% | 90% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 108.0 | 105.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.80 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +1.00 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +3.10 | - | - |
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 Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Norfolk average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 70% | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 69% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 70% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 56 |
| 2023/24 | 59 |
| 2024/25 | 53 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy compares
Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy ranked 53rd of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 70% | 4.8% | 26.4% | 41 | — |
| St Benet's Catholic Primary School | 38% | 9.6% | 32.9% | 69 | 1.4 miles |
| The Albert Pye Community Primary School | 82% | 4.7% | 27.2% | 350 | 1.7 miles |
| Ravensmere Infant School | — | 3.1% | 12.9% | 52 | 1.7 miles |
| Beccles Primary Academy | 50% | 7.3% | 48.2% | 148 | 2.2 miles |
| Ellingham VC Primary School | 30% | 5.7% | 25.8% | 88 | 2.6 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)
- 26.42%
- English as an additional language
- 7.5%
- Overall absence
- 4.81%
- Persistent absence
- 7.84%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Benet's Catholic Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Beccles
-
The Albert Pye Community Primary School1.7 miles
Primary · Beccles
-
Ravensmere Infant School1.7 miles
Primary · Beccles
-
Beccles Primary Academy2.2 miles
Primary · Beccles
-
Ellingham VC Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Bungay
Other schools in Beccles
Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy ranks 2nd of the 9 ranked primary schools in Beccles.
- Barnby and North Cove Community Primary School Primary
- Beccles Primary Academy Primary
- Brampton Church of England Primary School Primary
- Glebeland Community Primary School Primary
- Ilketshall St Lawrence School Primary
- Ravensmere Infant School Primary
- Ringsfield Church of England Primary School Primary
- St Benet's Catholic Primary School Primary
- The Albert Pye Community Primary School Primary
- Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Beccles High School Secondary
- Sir John Leman High School Secondary
Common questions
- What ages does Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy teach?
- Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Beccles.
- Who is the headteacher of Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy?
- The headteacher of Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy is Heather Brand, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy?
- Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy has 41 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy full?
- Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy has capacity for 60 pupils and 41 on roll (68%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Norwich.
- Does Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Is Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy part of an academy trust?
- Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy is part of THE DIOCESE OF NORWICH EDUCATION AND ACADEMIES TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 70% in 2022/23 and 70% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy compare with other schools in Norfolk?
- Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy ranked 53rd of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy's absence rate?
- Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 4.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy'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 1 July 2026.