Ipswich Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 May 2024

Pupils trust adults to listen to, follow up, and help resolve, any worries they have. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe. They value the school's help with issues they face in their wider lives. This includes the school chaplain who provides bereavement and counselling to support pupils' mental health. Pupils experience some high-quality teaching that enables them to build knowledge well. However, too often this is not the case, particularly where pupils are taught by cover teachers for extended periods. This means that some pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge and have not achieved well enough. Pupils understand the school's expectations for behaviour. However, some do not follow these expectations consistently enough. Some pupils spend time outside of lessons as a result of their behaviour, missing important learning. Pupils benefit from a rich range of personal development opportunities. As part of the 'hinterland project' all pupils have had access to fully funded trips abroad to places, like France. This builds their cultural understanding. They also enjoy the range of clubs and competitive sporting fixture opportunities. These support their social development well.

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that the curriculum is taught consistently well. Where temporary teaching arrangements have been in place, pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge. These gaps have not been addressed effectively enough, so pupils have not achieved as well as they should. The school needs to ensure that both permanent and temporary staff receive appropriate support so that pupils receive a consistently high standard of teaching.
• The proportion of pupils who complete the EBacc is low. As a result, some pupils do not study a sufficiently wide range of subjects. The school needs to continue its work to ensure that pupils in key stage 4 study an ambitious range of subjects, particularly in modern foreign languages and sciences.
• The school has not ensured that teachers provide the agreed support for pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could or produce high-quality work. The school needs to ensure that all teachers use the identified strategies to support the needs of pupils with SEND consistently well.
• Some pupils do not behave consistently well, particularly when cover teachers are used. When this is the case, pupils miss important learning. Leaders must ensure staff understand and implement the behaviour policy effectively.
• The use of offensive language is too common. The school needs to ensure that all staff follow the behaviour policy consistently and that all pupils understand and quickly report any unkind language they hear so it can be addressed promptly.

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