Copleston High School

Copleston High School continues to maintain its status as a good school, demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusivity and high standards. The school's curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced, and it is supported by knowledgeable staff whose professional development is highly regarded. Pupils exhibit exemplary behaviour and a positive attitude towards learning, as well as participation in a diverse array of extracurricular activities. However, some students struggle with attendance, which affects their overall achievement, and there are concerns regarding parental perceptions of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour and mutual respect.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced for all pupils.
• Teachers possess strong subject expertise and provide effective assessments.
• There is a wide range of extracurricular activities available to pupils.
• The school fosters an inclusive environment, especially for SEND pupils.
• Positive relationships are encouraged through opportunities for pupil leadership.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly, impacting their achievement.
• Parental engagement regarding SEND provision needs improvement.

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 Copleston High School attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.1% 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, 5.8% of pupils at Copleston High School 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 Copleston High School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.1% 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, 7.6% of pupils at Copleston High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 8 pupils.

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 Copleston High School received £7,514 and spent £6,594 for each of its 1,937 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,916,000 (£1,506 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Oxlip Learning Partnership, income was £7,706 and spending £7,599 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

Copleston High School is part of Oxlip Learning Partnership, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Britannia Primary School and Nursery Ipswich
• Rose Hill Primary Ipswich
• Cedars Park Community Primary School Stowmarket
• Stowupland High School Stowmarket
• Mendlesham Primary School Stowmarket
• Bacton Primary School Stowmarket

What is Copleston High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Copleston High School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Copleston High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Copleston High School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Copleston High School have?

Copleston High School has 1,930 pupils on roll.

What age range does Copleston High School cover?

Copleston High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Copleston High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.3, and 51% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Copleston High School?

Copleston High School is at Copleston Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5HD.