Debenham High SchoolStowmarket High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Stowmarket.
Summary of the comparison
Debenham High School and Stowmarket High School are secondary schools in Stowmarket.
Debenham High School scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Stowmarket High School scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average). Debenham High School is ahead on our composite score.
Debenham High School was judged Good and Stowmarket High School was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 51.5 for Debenham High School and 42.5 for Stowmarket High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Debenham High School (55.9 in 2021-22, 51.5 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Stowmarket High School (44.4 in 2021-22, 42.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | StowmarketDebenham High School | StowmarketStowmarket High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100Stronger figure | C59/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 43 in Suffolk Stronger figure | 13th of 43 in Suffolk | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 714 | 901 | |
| Capacity | 625 | 1,200 | |
| Location | Stowmarket, IP14 6BL | Stowmarket, IP14 1QR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 51.5 Stronger figure | 42.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 55.1% Stronger figure | 37.8% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 77.2% Stronger figure | 63.4% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 136 | 172 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 699 | 896 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 13.4% | 21.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 1.0% | 5.9% | |
| SEN support | 7.0% | 14.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.6% | 3.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.7% Stronger figure | 7.6% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 16.3% Stronger figure | 21.4% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Debenham High School
Stowmarket High School
Full profiles: Debenham High School · Stowmarket High School