St Benedict's Catholic School Catchment Area
St Benedict's Catholic School is an academy converter secondary school in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk , serving pupils aged 11-18, with 976 pupils, and a capacity of 852 places. The school is currently at or above capacity, making catchment area proximity important for admissions.
11-18
Age range
976
Pupils
852
Capacity
115%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2016
St Benedict's Catholic School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St Benedict's Catholic School?
The catchment area for St Benedict's Catholic School is the geographic zone Suffolk uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Suffolk publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Admission to St Benedict's Catholic School is managed by Suffolk and typically includes both faith criteria and catchment area proximity. The weighting given to each criterion depends on the school's published oversubscription policy, which is reviewed annually.
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Want the cut-off distance before you apply? Get an alert when Suffolk publishes the 2027 St Benedict's Catholic School numbers →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Suffolk before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Suffolk catchment area documents →St Benedict's Catholic School: heavily oversubscribed at 115% capacity
St Benedict's Catholic School has a published admission number of 852 places. 976 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 115%. At 115% capacity, the school is heavily oversubscribed. Suffolk allocates places using ranked criteria: looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment distance. Living within the catchment area is a strong but not guaranteed advantage, as the last distance offered shrinks each year as applications rise.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 12.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of Bury St Edmunds.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Suffolk publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Suffolk Council school admissions (official) →
St Benedict's Catholic School: School Information
- Full address
- Beetons Way, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 6RH
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11-18 years
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 12.4% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 149285
Other Secondary Schools in Bury St Edmunds
If St Benedict's Catholic School is oversubscribed, these secondary schools in Bury St Edmunds are the next closest alternatives.
Other Roman Catholic Schools in Suffolk
St Benedict's Catholic School shares its religious character with these Roman Catholic schools across Suffolk. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Sudbury
St Edmund's Catholic Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary aided school · Bury St Edmunds
St Alban's Catholic High School Catchment Area
Academy converter · Ipswich
St Louis Catholic Academy Catchment Area
Academy converter · Newmarket
Nearest secondary schools by distance
These are the secondary schools closest to St Benedict's Catholic School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: St Benedict's Catholic School
What is the catchment area for St Benedict's Catholic School? ▾
The catchment area for St Benedict's Catholic School is the geographic zone Suffolk uses to prioritise admissions when this secondary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and, in most years, faith-based criteria. Suffolk publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is St Benedict's Catholic School oversubscribed? ▾
Yes, St Benedict's Catholic School currently has 976 pupils enrolled against a capacity of 852 places. Catchment area proximity is an important admissions criterion when applying.
What is the admissions policy for St Benedict's Catholic School? ▾
St Benedict's Catholic School uses both faith criteria and catchment area proximity in its admissions policy. The weighting is reviewed annually and published by Suffolk before each admissions cycle.
What age range does St Benedict's Catholic School cover? ▾
St Benedict's Catholic School is a secondary school in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, serving pupils aged 11-18. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for St Benedict's Catholic School? ▾
St Benedict's Catholic School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2016. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.