Graded inspection · Jul 2024 Previous framework
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal development
- Leadership and management
This schoolOther secondary schools in Suffolk
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Outstanding | Good | Requires improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of education | Requires improvement | |||
| Behaviour and attitudes | Requires improvement | |||
| Personal development | Requires improvement | |||
| Leadership and management | Requires improvement |
Inspection history
- 9 July 2024Graded inspection: Requires improvement
- 9 February 2023Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry126 applications · 95 places offered · 93 named it first
HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.
- 2026 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.6
- 2025 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.6
- 2024 1.1; Suffolk median median 1.6
- 2023 1.2; Suffolk median median 1.6
- 2022 1.2; Suffolk median median 1.6
- 2021 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.6
- 2020 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.4
- 2019 1.2; Suffolk median median 1.5
- 2018 1.5; Suffolk median median 1.5
- 2017 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.5
- 2016 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.5
- 2015 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.5
- 2014 1.3; Suffolk median median 1.5; as the previous school
- This school
- Suffolk median
Dashed bars: as Alde Valley School (URN 124819), the previous school.
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 95 | 126 | 1.3 | 93 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2025 | 113 | 149 | 1.3 | 113 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2024 | 135 | 153 | 1.1 | 133 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2023 | 128 | 149 | 1.2 | 128 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2022 | 121 | 149 | 1.2 | 121 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2021 | 115 | 146 | 1.3 | 114 | 0.99 |
| Sep 2020 | 111 | 146 | 1.3 | 109 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2019 | 73 | 85 | 1.2 | 66 | 0.90 |
| Sep 2018 | 58 | 86 | 1.5 | 56 | 0.97 |
| Sep 2017 | 69 | 90 | 1.3 | 70 | 1.01 |
| Sep 2016 | 66 | 85 | 1.3 | 63 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2015 | 55 | 72 | 1.3 | 53 | 0.96 |
| Sep 2014 * | 58 | 78 | 1.3 | 58 | 1.00 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 130 | 33.9 | 29% | 49% | – |
| 2024/25 | 135 | 33.7 | 24% | 42% | – |
| 2023/24 | 90 | 40.6 | 30% | 59% | −0.33 |
| 2022/23 | 84 | 35.9 | 16% | 44% | −0.78 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Alde Valley AcademyThis schoolThis schoolRequires improvement20241.3applications per place 33.9Attainment 8
- 17.8 km · SuffolkGood20231.6applications per place 47.8Attainment 8
- 22.4 km · Suffolk20261.7applications per place 45.2Attainment 8
- 24.7 km · SuffolkRemains Good · improving20231.9applications per place 47.4Attainment 8
- 27.6 km · Suffolk20261.6applications per place 46.7Attainment 8
- 27.6 km · Suffolk20262.2applications per place 25.4Attainment 8
- 27.9 km · SuffolkGood20222.0applications per place 47.0Attainment 8
- 28.5 km · SuffolkGood20231.6applications per place 51.5Attainment 8
- 28.6 km · Suffolk20261.5applications per place 42.1Attainment 8
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 141236 · 935/4043
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 560 pupils · 645 on roll
- Free school meals
- 32.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 January 2015
- Replaced
- Alde Valley School (URN 124819)
- Address
- Seaward Avenue, Leiston, IP16 4BG
- Local authority
- Suffolk · East Suffolk
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources