Parkside Academy, Ipswich
Parkside Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Ipswich, part of Raedwald Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Parkside Academy in detail
Getting a place at Parkside Academy
Across Suffolk, 93% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Suffolk lodged 177 appeals against secondary school offers; 128 reached a hearing and 22 succeeded (17.2% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Parkside Academy are Copleston High School (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); St Alban's Catholic High School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.3); Northgate High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.5); and Learning Support, Southern Area Education Office (1.1 miles).
Copleston High SchoolSt Alban's Catholic High SchoolNorthgate High SchoolLearning Support, Southern Area Education Office
The trust
Parkside Academy is one of 7 schools run by Raedwald Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 6 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2021/22, 50% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college and 17% into work.
Who goes there
80% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 5 pupils (100%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance2, about 1000 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cowper Street (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 180 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Parkside Academy are St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Ipswich (0.3 miles); Britannia Primary School and Nursery (0.4 miles); St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ipswich (0.5 miles); and Sidegate Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, IpswichBritannia Primary School and NurserySt Mary's Catholic Primary School, IpswichSidegate Primary School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
80.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Parkside Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Parkside Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Parkside Academy is in Suffolk; for families living there:
Apply to Suffolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 49
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 43 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
6%
Available places
5 pupils
90 places
85 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ipswich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ipswich
Across Suffolk council
Places available
8,475
Applications
7,204
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Suffolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
5
Total Pupils
3
Boys
2
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
0.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,872
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Parkside Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Parkside Academy
What is Parkside Academy's Ofsted rating?
Parkside Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2020 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Parkside Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Parkside Academy is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Parkside Academy?
Parkside Academy has around 5 pupils on roll. 80% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Parkside Academy?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Parkside Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Parkside Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 49 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 43 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Parkside Academy?
Parkside Academy is at 291 Spring Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5ND.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)