Northgate High School, Ipswich

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, cricket, tennis, athletics, badminton, running, dance, chess and STEM.

In 2026, pupils at Northgate High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.

51% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.

That is down from 50.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.35: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.7, against 52.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Social Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 316 families put Northgate High School as their first choice and 741 named it as one of their preferences, for 235 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 92 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Northgate High School are St Alban's Catholic High School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 45.3); Learning Support, Southern Area Education Office (1.3 miles); Copleston High School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); and Ormiston Endeavour Academy (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.4).

Northgate High School's 2026 results were higher than all 3 of them.

163 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Northgate High School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 78% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (78%).

Of the 254 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 27% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 237 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 44% went on to university or other higher education, 13% to apprenticeships and 28% into work. 22% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

16.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Westerfield Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northgate School (entrance), 80 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 51 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, other theft and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Northgate High School issued 89 suspensions, 5.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Northgate High School are Rushmere Hall Primary School (0.3 miles); Sidegate Primary School (0.4 miles); St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Ipswich (0.6 miles); and St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ipswich (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.