St Benedict's Catholic School in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich School and Kesgrave High School in top 10 in East Anglia in Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2025

Three schools in Suffolk have been named as among the top ones in the region in a Sunday Times guide.

The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2025 ranks Kesgrave High School as eighth (national rank 368) and St Benedict's Catholic School, in Bury St Edmunds, as ninth (national rank 370) in ‘top comprehensive secondary schools in East Anglia’.

With no other Suffolk schools ranked higher, Kesgrave High School is the top comprehensive secondary school in Suffolk in the guide.

Meanwhile, in ‘top secondary independent schools in East Anglia’ Ipswich School is ranked fourth (national rank 116), and it is also the top Suffolk school in this category.

Julia Upton, headteacher of Kesgrave High School, said they were ‘absolutely delighted’ to be named in the guide as one of the top schools in East Anglia.

She said: “Knowing that this recognition comes from the success of both the main school and our sixth form, demonstrates how hard all our staff work with students from Year 7 to Year 13, to help them to achieve their best.

“Of course, success to us means far more than being in such publications. We are proud of how we work with young people to combine their academic and holistic development.

“The last few years have been hard on this generation of young people, however, we won’t help them by standing still. We need to give them the tools to navigate all that the world today will bring.”

She said they want to give students qualifications that will open doors in their future but equally want to develop young people ‘with a clear sense of self, young people who know who they are and from this, are able to take their place in the world confidently and comfortably’.

“We are thrilled that this success recognises just how hard our students and staff have worked over the last few years to help this be realised,” she said.

Imogen Senior, headteacher of St Benedict's Catholic School, said: “We are delighted to feature in the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide. We believe that a good education covers many elements some of which are reflected in these rankings.

“We are very proud of the distinctiveness of our school community, curriculum and ethos. It is lovely to see some of the work of the school acknowledged in the guide.”

The guide, which is widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the country’s top schools, includes a fully searchable national database of over 2,000 schools by name, local authority, town and postcode.

As well as an assessment of all academic results on a school-by-school basis, Parent Power enables parents to compare the performance of a given school with other schools in the same town, local authority or nationally.

Helen Davies, editor of Parent Power, said: “The educational landscape is challenging – teacher shortages, rising student mental health issues and special educational needs and the Vat rise – but there is also so much to celebrate from the hard work of passionate and committed teachers who are finding ever more innovative and impactful ways to boost their students and give them the very best start in life.”

“As well as celebrating the academic excellence of the top schools it is fantastic to see how they are shaping their students to be ready for the 21st century.”

Nick Gregory, headteacher of Ipswich School, celebrated being named the top school in Suffolk.

He said: "2023/24 was an extraordinary year for Ipswich School in lots of ways: our girls' cricketers winning two national competitions, a string quartet enjoying success at a similar level, and a change of head at the year-end as well.

“That we should now get this level of recognition too – based, as these tables are, on the exceptional exam performance of our pupils (notably the 84% A*, A and B at A Level) – is just an additional boost and a further reminder of the incredible range of our pupils' academic and co-curricular achievements.

“We are very proud indeed to be recognised - once again - as Suffolk's number one school."

In the guide, Impington Village College, on the outskirts of Cambridge, was named the National and East Anglia Comprehensive School of the Year.