Ixworth High School
Walsham Road, Ixworth, IP31 2HSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Ixworth High School is a secondary school in Ixworth for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 357 schools in Suffolk. It ranks 24th of 43 secondary schools in Suffolk. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 23 April 2025, report published 19 May 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 23 April 2025
Pupils are proud of their school. Historically, pupils have not achieved well, reflected by weak published outcomes. However, recent changes have resulted in an increased ambition for pupils' achievement. A renewed sense of confidence permeates the school, giving pupils self-belief. This increased aspiration has motivated pupils to work hard. Pupils are now learning well and producing work that is of high quality. Pupils behave well. They are polite and engaging. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Learning is rarely disrupted. Around school, pupils socialise in an environment that welcomes and includes all. Ixworth is a happy school, where pupils know they are safe and cared for. Pupils enjoy their timetabled enrichment sessions. They value the chance to learn new skills and develop talents. These include opportunities in sports and the arts. Some pupils learn about gardening and landscaping. Others develop an understanding of business and enterprise. Pupils enthusiastically take on leadership roles. Pupils who attend 'The Forge', the school's specialist provision, are fully integrated into the wider life of the school.
What the school should improve
- Sometimes, the feedback that staff provide to pupils does not help them improve their work. This means that pupils do not always produce work that enables them to achieve the depth of understanding they could. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to provide purposeful feedback to pupils.
- Sometimes, the adaptations made for pupils with SEND do not enable them to access the curriculum. In these cases, pupils with SEND are not able to complete learning activities and secure knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to adapt teaching to enable pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they could
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
100 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
512 pupils on roll, with places for 600
Schools near Ixworth High School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thurston Community College | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 46.9 |
| Sybil Andrews Academy | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 49.5 |
| Culford School | 7 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 31.3 |
| St Benedict's Catholic School | 7 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 49.8 |
| Bury St Edmunds County High School | 7 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Attainment 8: 49.8 |
School details
- School type
- Free schools
- Sector
- Free school
- Trust
- SAPIENTIA EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr Alistair Gibb
- Phone
- 01359234050
- Address
- Walsham Road, Ixworth, IP31 2HS
- Local authority
- Suffolk
- URN
- 140047
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.