Samuel Ward Academy
Chalkstone Way, Haverhill, CB9 0LD
1,076 pupils · 86% of 1,250 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11–18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- UNITY SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 17.7%
Ofsted
Good (2022) — Rated under the pre-September 2024 inspection system
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 1 November 2022, published 7 December 2022. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 43.8 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 42.1% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 60.5% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 20.5% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.8 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 186 | 148 | 242 | 170 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 159 | 146 | 263 | 157 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 192 | 179 | 269 | 189 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 198 | 171 | 271 | 187 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 209 | 200 | 323 | 207 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 186 | 166 | 274 | 181 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 199 | 180 | 295 | 195 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 230 | 232 | 349 | 230 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Castle Manor Academy 1.4 km · Standards maintained (2024)
- Stour Valley Community School 9.8 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Linton Village College 12.1 km · Good (2024) · previous system
- Hedingham School and Sixth Form 15.1 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Saffron Walden County High School 16.9 km · Outstanding (2024) · previous system
- Newmarket Academy 18.2 km · Good (2023) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.