Hadleigh High School

Hadleigh High School is performing effectively, maintaining the standards from its previous inspection. The school fosters a supportive learning environment where pupils are encouraged to participate actively in lessons. With a strong emphasis on high expectations and respect, the school promotes positive behavior among students, contributing to their overall safety and well-being. The curriculum is designed to cater to the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring that they receive the necessary support to succeed.

Strengths

• Pupils are polite, respectful, and demonstrate strong school values.
• Lessons are calm and orderly, fostering effective learning.
• The curriculum is broad and designed to build on prior learning.
• Teachers use effective teaching approaches that engage pupils.
• Strong focus on reading ensures all pupils develop literacy skills.
• High expectations for behavior contribute to a positive learning atmosphere.
• Attendance strategies are effective, leading to improvements in pupil attendance.
• Pupils are well-prepared for future education and careers.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum in some subjects affecting knowledge retention.

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 Hadleigh High School attended 90.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.5% 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, 6.7% of pupils at Hadleigh High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Hadleigh High School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.6% 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, 18.0% of pupils at Hadleigh High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.5% 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 Hadleigh High School received £9,036 and spent £8,642 for each of its 732 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,073,000 (£1,466 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Penrose Learning Trust, income was £7,759 and spending £7,612 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

Hadleigh High School is part of Penrose Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• East Bergholt High School Colchester
• Claydon High School Ipswich
• Claydon Primary School Ipswich
• Dale Hall Community Primary School Ipswich
• Colchester Academy Colchester
• Elmstead Primary School Colchester
• Great Bentley Primary School Colchester
• Frinton-on-Sea Primary School Frinton-On-Sea

What is Hadleigh High School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Hadleigh High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hadleigh High School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Hadleigh High School have?

Hadleigh High School has 712 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hadleigh High School cover?

Hadleigh High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Hadleigh High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.6, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Hadleigh High School?

Hadleigh High School is at Highlands Road, Hadleigh, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 5HU.