Churchill Special Free School

Special free school · All-through, ages 9 to 18 · Mixed · Sixth form

Part of UNITY SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP

Chalkstone Way, Haverhill, CB9 0LB

01440 760338 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedOutstandingInspected 1 July 2015; confirmed 2024
Grade 5 or above in English and maths15%England 45% · 2024/25
Pupils82Room for 94 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 69 in 2019, 67 in 2021, 68 in 2022, 69 in 2023, 70 in 2024, 71 in 2025, 82 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals31%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 1 July 2015.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationOutstanding
Outcomes for pupilsOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 9 October 2024: Ofsted found the school had maintained its standards.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 87% 89%
My child feels safe at this school 93% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 73% 84%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 15 parents who had raised a concern 67% 76%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 15 parents of children with SEND 80% 68%
I would recommend this school to another parent 80%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 21%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

8 pupils in this year group.

Only 8 pupils took these tests, so results can change a lot from year to year. Compare with care.

25% — 34 points below the Suffolk average, and 37 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 25% 59% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 7% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 75% 73% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 38% 70% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 25% 71% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 103 105 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. 99 104 105
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 43%This school 2023/24: 17%This school 2024/25: 25% This school England 62% 2022/23 43% 2023/24 17% 2024/25 25%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

13 pupils in this year group.

15% — 25 points below the Suffolk average, and 30 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 15% 40% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. 34.1 42.8 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. 1.6 3.7 4.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% England 2022/23: 45%England 2023/24: 46%England 2024/25: 45% This school 2022/23: 18%This school 2023/24: 9%This school 2024/25: 15% This school England 45% 2022/23 18% 2023/24 9% 2024/25 15%

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

11 pupils in this year group.

100% — 7 points above the Suffolk average, and 8 points above the England average.

Where pupils went after Year 11
This school 91%
England 34%13%37%
MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 93% 92%
School sixth form 9% 39% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 5% 13%
Further education college 91% 42% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 3% 3%
Work 0% 3% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
82%100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Suffolk. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Suffolk

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Speech, language and communication needs; Autism.

PupilsThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 23.5% 48.3%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 98.8%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 1.2%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 0.0% 7.7%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 4.0% 12.6%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 7.3% 33.9%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 13.2 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 6.4% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.28% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 7.8 6.1 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.9 2.2 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 23.5% 12.4%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Churchill Special Free School's Ofsted rating?

Churchill Special Free School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 1 July 2015. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 9 October 2024, Ofsted found the school had maintained its standards.

How did Churchill Special Free School do in its GCSEs?

In 2024/25, 15% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 30 points below the England average of 45%.

Would parents recommend Churchill Special Free School?

80% of the 15 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025 said they would recommend Churchill Special Free School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.