Sunrise Academy

Sunrise Academy is a special school for pupils aged 9 to 16 with social, emotional and mental health needs, and all pupils have an EHC plan. This was its first routine section 5 inspection since opening in 2022, and it was inspected as part of Eastern Education Group Trust following the merger of SENDAT Trust and Eastern Education Academy Trust. The school was judged good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, with safeguarding arrangements found to be effective. Pupils benefit from strong relationships with compassionate staff, and their social, emotional and mental health needs are central to the school’s work. Most pupils behave well, attendance is improving, and pupils are well supported to trust adults and manage occasional difficulties. The school has high expectations, provides a curriculum matching the ambition of the national curriculum, prioritises reading, and prepares pupils well for adulthood through careers education and wider opportunities. Leaders have improved the school rapidly with effective trust support and accountability. Teachers use sound subject knowledge and check understanding well, adapting learning to pupils’ needs and gaps. However, support for writing is not consistently effective, so some key stage 4 pupils cannot express their ideas clearly in writing across the curriculum. In addition, the school’s processes for evaluating outcomes at alternative provisions are not sufficiently developed, making it difficult for the school and trust to determine whether all placements are wholly effective.

Strengths

• Strong, compassionate relationships between staff and pupils
• Pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs are central to the school’s work
• Staff keep pupils safe and safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Pupils usually behave well and the environment is calm and orderly
• The school has high expectations for all pupils, all of whom have SEND
• Pupils follow a curriculum matching the ambition of the national curriculum
• Pupils work successfully towards targets on their EHC plans
• Teachers use sound subject knowledge and adapt learning to pupils’ needs
• Staff check pupils’ understanding constantly and adjust teaching effectively
• Reading is prioritised and well-trained staff help pupils catch up
• Pupils read daily and become more fluent and confident readers
• Attendance is a high priority and most pupils’ attendance improves significantly
• Persistent absence is falling and overall attendance is improving
• Personal development is well provided for, including safety and health education
• Careers education is well organised and pupils are prepared well for adulthood
• Leaders support staff workload and provide effective trust training opportunities
• The trust holds leaders to account effectively and the school has improved rapidly

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in writing skills that are not consistently well addressed
• Some key stage 4 pupils struggle to express their good ideas clearly in writing across the curriculum
• The school’s processes for checking outcomes at alternative provisions are not as developed as they could be
• The school and trust do not have all the information needed to evaluate whether all alternative provision placements are wholly effective

In 2024–25 pupils at Sunrise Academy attended 63.2% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 79.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 45.5% of pupils at Sunrise Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 2 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 Sunrise Academy had 4.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Sunrise Academy had 51 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Sunrise Academy received £35,757 and spent £41,257 for each of its 44 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £74,000 (£1,675 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Eastern Education Group Trust, income was £10,066 and spending £10,047 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 Lowestoft · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

Sunrise Academy is part of Eastern Education Group Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Stanton Primary School Bury St. Edmunds
• Stone Lodge Academy Ipswich
• Woolpit Primary Academy Bury St Edmunds
• One Sixth Form College Ipswich
• Priory School Bury St Edmunds
• Abbeygate Sixth Form College Bury St Edmunds
• Duke of Lancaster School Fakenham
• Chalk Hill Sudbury
• Exning Primary School Newmarket

What is Sunrise Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sunrise Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Sunrise Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Sunrise Academy was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Sunrise Academy have?

Sunrise Academy has 51 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sunrise Academy cover?

Sunrise Academy for pupils aged 9 to 16.

Where is Sunrise Academy?

Sunrise Academy is at Church Lane, Lowestoft, NR33 8AX.