Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy, Ipswich
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 16 in Ipswich, part of Ormiston Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2021.
- Ofsted
- Good (2021)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy in detail
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy (TWOA) is a school for children, aged 3-16 with physical, medical and / or sensory needs and associated learning difficulties. We are located in a purpose-built school, in the north west of Ipswich. We take pupils from across Suffolk."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include cricket, swimming, dance, drama, orchestra and Duke of Edinburgh.
Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 3 November 2026 and an admissions event on Friday 13 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Suffolk
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy are Redstone Hall School (2.3 miles); Woodbridge Road Academy (2.4 miles); Stone Lodge Academy (2.5 miles, Good); and The Bridge School (3.1 miles, Good).
Redstone Hall SchoolWoodbridge Road AcademyStone Lodge AcademyThe Bridge School
The trust
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy is one of 44 schools run by Ormiston Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
29.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 18.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 24 pupils (22.9%) received SEN support and 81 (77.1%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is a physical disability.
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 105 places, 105 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Entrance1, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Spenser Road (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 139 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Suffolk (32), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2021 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
29.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +9
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2023/24KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2023/24 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy
Celebration of Schools Music
21 Sep 2026
Meet the Team Day
3 Sep 2026
Prom 2026!
8 Jul 2026
DofE Bronze Celebration
7 Jul 2026
Summer Enterprise Fayre
3 Jul 2026
Ormiston Got Talent Final
2 Jul 2026
From Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thomas Wolsey Ormiston 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
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 21 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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
100%
Full
105 pupils
105 places
No 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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
81
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 105 places, 105 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
105
Total Pupils
55
Boys
50
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
4.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,359
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.1%
Overall absence
33.7%
Persistent absence
89
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy
What are SATs results like at Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy?
Of the pupils at Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy who took the 2024 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy's Ofsted rating?
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2021. At its previous graded inspection in 2014 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy?
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy has around 105 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 105 places, 105 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy?
14.1% of sessions were missed at Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy in 2024/25. 33.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Thomas Wolsey Ormiston 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 Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 21 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy?
Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy is at Defoe Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 6SG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)