Ofsted: Good trending_up Popular emoji_events #5 in Suffolk public Top 14% UK

Northgate High School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMiss Rowena Mackie

location_onIpswich, IP4 3DL

language Visit Website phone 1473210123

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2024

groups

Students

1,732

trending_up

Attainment 8

50.6

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GCSE Rank

#3 in Suffolk

#861 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Northgate High School is a Community school secondary school in Ipswich, serving ages 11-18. Rated Good by Ofsted. Demand is above capacity (1.3×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

Northgate High School is a community school in Ipswich, Suffolk, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. The school has approximately 1,709 pupils on roll, of whom 19% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50.6, placing the school #3 in Suffolk and #861 of 3,216 nationally. 55.20% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 27.3% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 27 A-level subjects. 45.9% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 21.4% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.18 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2024. The school's current overall rating is Good. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Outstanding, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.3× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 17.6:1. There is 1 teaching vacancy.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there was 1 permanent exclusion. The average suspension rate was 1.7 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

50.6

Grade 5+ E&M

55.20%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)27.3%

Entering EBacc18.00%

EBacc APS4.3

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.35

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

51.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc17.30%

EBacc APS4.32

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.08

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

49.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc18%

EBacc APS4.21

2022

Progress 8 Score

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

50.7

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc16%

EBacc APS4.25

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc31%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.2

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

48.7

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc51%

EBacc APS4.43

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.56

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

51.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc54%

EBacc APS4.61

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)92%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

98%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

99%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)94%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)1%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.18

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C+

Students

221

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*6.4%

Achieving A*–A21.4%

Achieving A*–B45.9%

VA Banding Below average

Retention rate90.5%

A-level subjects offered27

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.2

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

248

Retention rate88.70%

2023

Avg Grade

C+

Students

223

Retention rate93.70%

2022

Avg Grade

B-

Students

263

Retention rate92.8%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

03 December 2024

Inspection Report

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13 November 2019

Inspection Report

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15 December 2015

Inspection Report

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09 June 2015

Inspection Report

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16 May 2012

Inspection Report

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07 January 2011

Inspection Report

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05 May 2009

Inspection Report

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05 February 2008

Inspection Report

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22 November 2004

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

4 Evaluations

2024-12-03

S5 Inspection EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Good

Behaviour

Outstanding

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2015-12-15

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2012-05-16

S5 Inspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2008-02-05

None EIF

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

1.5%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

1.2%(20 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

1pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,709 pupils. During this period, there were 25 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 1.5%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,709	25	1.5%	7.3%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,713	33	1.9%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,706	22	1.3%	7.4%	1
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,708	18	1.1%	7.1%	1
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,711	23	1.3%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,720	25	1.5%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,732	34	2.0%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,730	27	1.6%	5.9%	1
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,773	19	1.1%	4.7%	1
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,778	29	1.6%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,778	32	1.8%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,765	41	2.3%	3.6%	1
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,762	6	0.3%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,773	41	2.3%	3.9%	2
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,736	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,736	44	2.5%	3.2%	1
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,733	52	3.0%	4.2%	1
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,673	58	3.5%	3.1%	1
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,683	32	1.9%	3.8%	2
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,689	34	2.0%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,649	58	3.5%	3.4%	2
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,654	62	3.7%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,659	18	1.1%	3.7%	1
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,676	34	2.0%	3.0%	2
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,679	44	2.6%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,676	35	2.1%	3.1%	1

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Specific Learning Difficulty 70 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 41 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 39 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 37 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 30 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 17 pupils

Physical Disability 7 pupils

Hearing Impairment 4 pupils

Visual Impairment 3 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

93.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

93.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

22.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree43%

agree48%

disagree4%

strongly disagree2%

don't know3%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree30%

agree47%

disagree16%

strongly disagree4%

don't know3%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree35%

agree26%

disagree6%

strongly disagree2%

don't know1%

not applicable30%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes26%

no74%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree30%

agree49%

disagree14%

strongly disagree2%

dont know5%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree53%

agree34%

disagree9%

don't know5%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree50%

agree42%

disagree4%

strongly disagree2%

don't know2%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree51%

agree41%

disagree6%

strongly disagree2%

don't know1%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree67%

agree32%

disagree1%

don't know1%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree58%

agree37%

disagree2%

strongly disagree2%

don't know1%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree46%

agree39%

disagree5%

strongly disagree4%

don't know5%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes93%

no7%

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Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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Good

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Outstanding

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Good

location_on Bury St Edmunds, IP32 6RF

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St Benedict's Catholic School

Good

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Sybil Andrews Academy

Good

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Kesgrave High School

Good

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Suffolk

Debenham High School

Hartismere School

Bury St Edmunds County High School

St Benedict's Catholic School

Sybil Andrews Academy

Kesgrave High School