First Base Ipswich Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 May 2026

Pupils settle quickly here because relationships with staff are warm, respectful and consistent. Staff know pupils very well and provide highly effective support to help them manage their emotions and become ready to learn. Pupils know that adults will help them when needed. They feel safe, well cared for and supported to understand the feelings of others. Pupils learn how to interact kindly and respectfully with each other. Bullying is very rare and dealt with effectively should it occur. Staff and leaders take considerable time to understand the experiences, challenges and barriers faced by pupils and their families. Parents and carers value the positive relationships that they have with leaders and staff. Close work with families helps many pupils improve their attendance, rebuild confidence and engage positively with education again. Over time, pupils develop highly positive attitudes to learning and use effective strategies to regulate their emotions and behaviour. As a result, pupils take part positively in daily routines and enjoy learning in a calm and inclusive environment. Learning is adapted carefully to support pupils' individual needs. Pupils' communication, emotional wellbeing and regulation are supported particularly well. Pupils following the school's longstanding curriculum develop essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics and gain confidence to use this across their lessons. They achieve well and most return successfully to mainstream education. Pupils following the newer curriculum are developing important social and academic skills and catching up in reading, writing and mathematics. However, opportunities for pupils to use this learning consistently across the wider curriculum are less well developed. As a result, pupils do not apply their reading, writing and mathematics skills as confidently in other areas of learning as they might.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teaching uses assessment information more precisely for pupils in the newer curriculum pathway, so that pupils build securely on prior learning and consistently sustain and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding across the wider curriculum and throughout the school day.
• Trustees and leaders, working collectively with partner schools and the local authority, should ensure that there are precise, shared and clearly accountable success measures for jointly reviewing the effectiveness of the newer curriculum pathway for the pupils who access it.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)