Academy sponsor led · Suffolk

Hillside Primary School

3–11Ages
402Pupils
PrimaryPhase
140887URN

Belstead Avenue, Ipswich, IP2 8NU · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jun 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.1per place

0.7 below Suffolk median (1.8)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Suffolk

36 applications for 32 places · 162nd of 165 in Suffolk

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

53%met the expected standard

Suffolk 60% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 2 June 2026Published 6 July 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching			Needs attention
Achievement			Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

2 June 2026
Report card · 5 Expected standard, 2 Needs attention
4 October 2023
Graded inspection: Requires improvement

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.1applications per place, Reception

0.7 below Suffolk median (1.8) 1.1 below England median (2.2)

36 applications · 32 places offered · 28 named it first

2026 1.1; Suffolk median median 1.8
2025 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.8
2024 1.4; Suffolk median median 1.8
2023 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.8
2022 1.5; Suffolk median median 1.8
2021 1.4; Suffolk median median 1.9
2020 1.2; Suffolk median median 1.7
2019 1.2; Suffolk median median 1.8
2018 1.1; Suffolk median median 1.8
2017 1.5; Suffolk median median 1.8
2016 1.2; Suffolk median median 1.9
2015 1.1; Suffolk median median 1.9
2014 1.0; Suffolk median median 1.9; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Suffolk median in 0 of 12 years.

This school
Suffolk median

Dashed bars: as Hillside Community Primary School (URN 124644), the previous school.

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	32	36	1.1	28	0.88
Sep 2025	38	49	1.3	38	1.00
Sep 2024	37	50	1.4	33	0.89
Sep 2023	42	54	1.3	37	0.88
Sep 2022	43	65	1.5	41	0.95
Sep 2021	45	65	1.4	39	0.87
Sep 2020	72	83	1.2	57	0.79
Sep 2019	70	81	1.2	62	0.89
Sep 2018	72	79	1.1	61	0.85
Sep 2017	49	72	1.5	43	0.88
Sep 2016	60	71	1.2	42	0.70
Sep 2015	50	56	1.1	28	0.56
Sep 2014 *	69	72	1.0	47	0.68

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 60% · Writing 72% · Maths 74% → all three 53% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard53%156th of 223 in Suffolk

Suffolk 60% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard60%

Suffolk 76% England 78%

Higher standard14%

Suffolk 32% England 33%

Average scaled score 101 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard72%

Suffolk 73% England 75%

Greater depth7%

Suffolk 11% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard74%

Suffolk 73% England 77%

Higher standard10%

Suffolk 21% England 24%

Average scaled score 102 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Suffolk median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	53%	3%	101	102
2023/24	49%	4%	103	102
2022/23	30%	0%	99	98

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Hillside Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

1.1applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
Halifax Primary School
0.7 km · Suffolk

Standards maintained2025

1.6applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
St Mark's Catholic Primary School
1.2 km · Suffolk

Good2023

2.0applications per place
St Matthew's Church of England Primary School, Ipswich
1.4 km · Suffolk

Good2023

1.6applications per place 47%met the SATs standard
Cliff Lane Primary School
1.4 km · Suffolk

Good2024

1.6applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
The Willows Primary School
1.5 km · Suffolk

Requires improvement2024

1.8applications per place 35%met the SATs standard
Ranelagh Primary School
1.6 km · Suffolk

Good2022

1.6applications per place 23%met the SATs standard
St Helen's Primary School
1.6 km · Suffolk

Remains Good2023

1.9applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
St Margaret's CEVAP School, Ipswich
1.7 km · Suffolk

Remains Good · improving2024

2.0applications per place 63%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 140887 · 935/2027
Trust: The Active Learning Trust Limited
Capacity: 500 pupils · 402 on roll
Free school meals: 46.9% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 1 July 2014
Replaced: Hillside Community Primary School (URN 124644)
Address: Belstead Avenue, Ipswich, IP2 8NU
Local authority: Suffolk · Ipswich

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources