The Ursuline Academy Ilford

The Ursuline Academy Ilford demonstrates a strong overall performance, with pupils achieving well above national averages in public examinations by the end of key stage 4. The school fosters a supportive and inclusive environment, benefitting from a robust personal development programme that encourages pupils to thrive academically and personally. However, while the academic standards are high in the main school, the sixth form has not consistently mirrored this success, with outcomes historically falling below national averages, despite recent efforts to enhance the quality of provision.

Strengths

• Exceptional academic achievement across subjects
• Strong progress made by disadvantaged pupils in line with their peers
• Robust personal development and wellbeing programme
• High standards of behaviour and mutual respect among pupils
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs
• Quality careers education that prepares pupils for future pathways

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent quality of curriculum and teaching in sixth form
• Students' achievement in post-16 provision not meeting potential

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 The Ursuline Academy Ilford attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 35.1% 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, 1.2% of pupils at The Ursuline Academy Ilford 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 The Ursuline Academy Ilford had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.4% 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, 5.7% of pupils at The Ursuline Academy Ilford were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% 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 The Ursuline Academy Ilford received £7,726 and spent £8,150 for each of its 748 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £846,000 (£1,131 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 Redbridge · Redbridge local authority: places and applications

What is The Ursuline Academy Ilford's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Ursuline Academy Ilford is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was The Ursuline Academy Ilford last inspected by Ofsted?

The Ursuline Academy Ilford was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does The Ursuline Academy Ilford have?

The Ursuline Academy Ilford has 743 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Ursuline Academy Ilford cover?

The Ursuline Academy Ilford for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Ursuline Academy Ilford's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.3, and 60% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Ursuline Academy Ilford?

The Ursuline Academy Ilford is at Morland Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4JU.