Find the best primary schools in Babergh. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Babergh has 38 primary schools, all in Suffolk council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 38, 24 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Babergh primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Lawshall | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| Nayland Primary School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| Sproughton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.6 / 5 |
| Stratford St Mary Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| Acton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| Boxford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
There are 38 primary schools in Babergh.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Babergh, that council is Suffolk. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 38 primary schools in Babergh, 24 have a religious character: 23 Church of England and 1 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are All Saints' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Lawshall (4.8), Nayland Primary School (4.6), Sproughton Church of England Primary School (4.6), Stratford St Mary Primary School (4.5) and Whatfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (4.4). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. All 38 schools here have a rating.
| Kersey Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Lavenham Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Stoke-by-Nayland Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| East Bergholt Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Bildeston Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Brooklands Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Glemsford Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Chelmondiston Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Holbrook Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Woodhall Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Hintlesham and Chattisham Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Hadleigh Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Beaumont Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Long Melford Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.6 / 5 |
| Bures Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Hartest Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Tudor Church of England Primary School, Sudbury | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Wells Hall Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Copdock Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Great Waldingfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| St Gregory Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Elmsett Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.8 / 5 |
| Shotley Community Primary School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Cockfield Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.8 / 5 |
| Stutton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.7 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hadleigh | Church of England | 2.7 / 5 |
| Pot Kiln Primary School | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.