Ipswich Academy

Ipswich Academy has been rated as 'Requires Improvement' in its recent Ofsted inspection. Despite having some positive aspects, particularly in personal development, the quality of education and behavior management require significant attention. The trust overseeing the academy recognizes the need for improvement and is providing support, yet teaching consistency and staff adherence to behavior policies remain areas of concern. This is the school's first inspection under the co-principal model established in December 2023, following a previous inspection that rated the school as 'Good'.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy and safe, trusting adults to help resolve their worries.
• There are high-quality teaching moments that effectively build student knowledge.
• The school offers a rich array of personal development opportunities.
• The early reading support program is well-targeted and effective.
• Attendance has improved post-pandemic.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistency in teaching quality leading to gaps in pupil knowledge.
• Low proportion of pupils completing the English Baccalaureate.
• Inconsistent application of strategies to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Some pupils exhibit poor behavior and do not consistently follow behavioral expectations.
• Use of unkind language is prevalent, and reporting protocols are not effectively followed.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ipswich Academy attended 88.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 22.9% of pupils at Ipswich Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Ipswich Academy had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 15.5% of pupils at Ipswich Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Ipswich Academy received £9,138 and spent £9,160 for each of its 1,006 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £911,000 (£905 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Paradigm Trust, income was £10,029 and spending £10,015 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ipswich · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

Ipswich Academy is part of Paradigm Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Piper's Vale Primary - A Paradigm Academy Ipswich
• Murrayfield Primary - A Paradigm Academy Ipswich
• Woodbridge Road Academy Ipswich
• Culloden Primary - A Paradigm Academy London
• Old Ford Primary - A Paradigm Academy London
• Solebay Primary - A Paradigm Academy London

What is Ipswich Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ipswich Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Ipswich Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ipswich Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Ipswich Academy have?

Ipswich Academy has 981 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ipswich Academy cover?

Ipswich Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Ipswich Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.3, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ipswich Academy?

Ipswich Academy is at Braziers Wood Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 0SP.