St Alban's Catholic High School, Ipswich

Good
Secondary
Academy converter
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.4km)Possible (~2.0km)Unlikely (~2.6km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Headteacher Simon Corless
Pupils:967 / 1,020 capacity
LA:Suffolk
Phone:01473726178
Address:Digby Road, Ipswich, IP4 3NJ
Trust:OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 February 2012

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:137849
UKPRN:10036296
Diocese:Diocese of East Anglia
Constituency:Ipswich
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Alban's is a welcoming school where pupils are happy and behavior is excellent. The school provides an ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge carefully, with particular strength in supporting reading and pupils with SEND. Pupils benefit from a rich range of enrichment activities, meaningful leadership roles, and strong careers guidance that prepares them well for their next steps.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils behave exceptionally well and show deep engagement in their learning
  • The school has embedded an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum across all key stages
  • Reading is prioritized and weaker readers receive quick, effective support
  • Pupils with SEND are supported by expertly trained staff and achieve well
  • Excellent leadership opportunities enable pupils to develop as confident, responsible leaders

Areas for Improvement

  • In a few subjects, teaching occasionally does not build well on pupils' prior knowledge, which affects how well some pupils learn and develop deeper subject-specific knowledge

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular Activities

Theatre visits, university lectures, drone workshops on ecology, local signing festivals, linguistics Olympiad, sports clubs, problem-solving club, alive in faith, student-led clubs including nerd club, school council, prefect roles, sports leaders, interdenominational chaplaincy team, careers carousels, mock elections, visit to Houses of Parliament

St Alban's Catholic High School is a welcoming and inclusive secondary school where pupils enjoy coming to school and behave extremely well. The school has maintained good standards through effective action and continues to provide an ambitious curriculum with strong support for all learners.

At a Glance

20.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

78 responses
Would recommend87%
Child is happy91%
Well taught82%
Good progress81%
Feels safe92%
Well behaved81%
Bullying dealt with39%
Kept informed72%
Handles concerns65%
Wider development72%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

21.3

Avg class size

45

Total classes

6 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

St Albans School (o/s)
94m · 2 min walk
Hospital (nr)
202m · 3 min walk
Playford Road (opp)
269m · 4 min walk
Thornley Drive (opp)
287m · 5 min walk
Lindsey Road (o/s)
309m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

95%

Near capacity

967 pupils

1,020 capacity

53 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Ipswich

High pressure
New homes approved:4,470
Projected new pupils:805

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ipswich

Admissions Demand - Suffolk

Low demand0.87x oversubscription

Places available

8,496

Applications

7,401

Got 1st preference

92.0%

Got preferred school

97.4%

Secondary admissions across Suffolk (2025/26)

Inspection History(104)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

8.06316%

Overall absence

22.62038%

Persistent absence

893

Enrolments

Authorised6.11609%
Unauthorised1.94707%
Persistent (10%+)22.62038%
Severe (50%+)2.91153%

Absence trend

4.01435%
18/19
4.27476%
20/21
7.63818%
21/22
8.69875%
22/23
9.55887%
23/24
8.06316%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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