Priory School is a special academy in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for children and young people aged 5 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, speech and language and 6 other needs.
- Ages 5–19
- 241 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 5 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 241 (places for 204)
- Headteacher
- Ms Lisa Andrews (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Eastern Education Group Trust
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Opened
- 1 September 2011
- Free school meals
- 49.8% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Suffolk
- School reference (URN)
- 137433
Needs it supports
9 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 7 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Suffolk (18)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Suffolk (16)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Suffolk (4)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Suffolk (12)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Suffolk (5)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Suffolk (5)
Sensory and physical
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Suffolk (3)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Suffolk (2)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Suffolk (4)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Suffolk council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Outstanding, November 2014; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (June 2024)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in November 2014. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, June 2024).
Contact and getting there
Mount Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7BH
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- St Edmund's Catholic Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.8 miles
- King Edward VI CEVC School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 1.0 mile
- Sir Peter Hall School Special school · Ages 9–16 1.1 miles
By need in Suffolk: Autism (19) · Moderate learning (19) · Speech and language (17) · Severe learning (13) · Hearing (8) · SEMH (6) · PMLD (6) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Physical (5) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (3)
Questions about Priory School
How do I get a place at Priory School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Priory School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Priory School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Priory School take?
Aged 5 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Priory School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Priory School?
Mount Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7BH, in Suffolk.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.