Academy converter

Sir John Leman High School

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth formSuffolk, East of England · Beccles NR34 9PGTrust: Kingfisher Schools TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,404of 1,476 places
Free school meals
22.6%
Year 11 cohort 2025
244
Ofsted
Report card, 14 April 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Sir John Leman High School (URN 124817, until 1 August 2011).

What the data says

Of the 233 pupils who finished Year 11 at Sir John Leman High School in 2023, 34% stayed on in Sir John Leman High School’s own sixth form (Suffolk average 39%), 41% went to a further education college and 6% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 73 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 47% went to university (Suffolk 26%, England 37%), and 9% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 15% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.

Food Preparation and Nutrition is unusually popular at GCSE: 27% of the year group took it, against 8% of pupils across England.

GCSE results in 2025 were in line with the national picture: Attainment 8 of 44.8 against 46.1 across England and 42.8 in Suffolk, with 41% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Suffolk and England.

Sir John Leman High School
Suffolk
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureSir John Leman High SchoolSuffolkEngland
Pupils in the cohort2337,591607,348
Any sustained destination99%93%92%
Stayed in education91%87%86%
— school sixth form34%39%34%
— sixth form college15%5%13%
— further education college41%42%37%
— other education1%2%2%
Apprenticeship6%3%3%
Employment2%3%3%
No sustained destination5%6%
Destination unknown2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

Sir John Leman High School
Suffolk
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureSir John Leman High SchoolSuffolkEngland
Students in the cohort737,162541,441
Any sustained destination84%79%79%
University (higher education)47%26%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students9%10%19%
Further education1%6%5%
Apprenticeship15%10%7%
Employment19%36%28%
No sustained destination14%16%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureSir John Leman High SchoolSuffolkEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)44.842.846.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths41%40%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths68%61%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects21%27%41%
EBacc average point score3.683.704.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort21%25%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils36.030.834.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils47.146.750.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language4%10%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics24299%88%9%22%72%
English Language24098%89%21%20%80%
English Literature23998%86%26%21%79%
Religious Studies23094%31%8%32%41%
Combined Science18174%65%3%9%57%
History10041%41%21%26%57%
Geography9238%41%13%25%52%
Business Studies7832%18%6%20%50%
Spanish6928%19%7%27%54%
Design and Technology6627%11%14%23%64%
Food Preparation and Nutrition6627%8%20%21%68%
Physical Education6527%11%11%24%66%
Biology5322%23%17%45%89%
Physics5221%23%17%46%90%
Chemistry5121%23%16%47%88%
Photography4619%6%54%19%100%
Media Studies4518%4%18%20%71%
French2912%18%10%29%41%
Computer Science2510%13%16%30%76%
Psychology2410%3%13%22%50%
Fine Art229%9%27%28%82%
Drama146%7%21%27%71%
Music135%5%31%33%46%
Latin104%1%30%74%60%
Russian31%0%87%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Health Studies4961%
Computer Appreciation / Introduction2734%
Additional Mathematics FSMQ1013%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureSir John Leman High SchoolSuffolkEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study163
— of whom A level students802,713261,341
Average A level gradeCC+B-
Average points per A level entry30.8331.8835.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsCC+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects9%11%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics1620%31%
Biology1519%20%
Geography1418%10%
Sociology1316%13%
Business Studies1215%13%
English Literature1215%11%
Economics1013%13%
Physical Education1013%3%
English Language1013%4%
Photography1013%3%
Chemistry911%17%
Psychology810%23%
History79%13%
Physics79%12%
Religious Studies79%4%
Product Design68%2%
Media Studies4%
Music0%
Music Technology0%
D and T Textiles Technology0%
Fine Art3%
Computer Science5%
French1%
Film Studies2%
Law4%
Further Mathematics5%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Health StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 31721%
Applied SciencesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*1215%
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)911%
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 3810%
Nutrition / DietVRQ Level 379%
Health StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3

Other secondary schools in Suffolk

Alde Valley Academy

Academy sponsor led · 645 pupils

80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.7

Breckland School

Free schools · 615 pupils

81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.4

Bungay High School

Academy converter · sixth form · 922 pupils

90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.