Holbrook Academy

About Holbrook Academy

Holbrook Academy is a mixed state secondary in the Suffolk town of Holbrook, part of the Babergh district, and it serves pupils from Year 7 through to Year 16. The school is nearly at full capacity, with 593 pupils on roll against a published capacity of 600. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 22.8%, which is notably higher than the national average for secondary schools and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 151 applications for 108 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.4. Of those, 94 were first-preference applications, and all 94 first-preference applicants were offered a place. The school is led by headteacher Claire Elliott and has no religious character. It does not have a sixth form, so pupils move on elsewhere after Year 11.

Academically, Holbrook Academy’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated the school as Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. This marks a clear improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2015, when it was rated Requires Improvement. However, the school’s Progress 8 score for 2023/24 is -0.61, which is well below average nationally and significantly below the Suffolk local authority average of -0.17. The Attainment 8 score is 38.4, and just 31.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is 32.8%, with only 7.8% achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. The school ranks 5th out of 5 schools in Babergh on Progress 8, and 39th out of 48 similar schools across Suffolk. Parent View responses from 25 respondents in the 2024/25 period show 72% would recommend the school, though only 52% agreed their child is happy and 52% felt their child is safe.

The school’s facilities include science labs, a sports hall, gymnasium, library, and a sixth form centre, though it does not offer post-16 provision on site. Sports on offer include football, netball, swimming, hockey, and martial arts, while clubs range from choir and orchestra to coding, drama, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school lists a wide range of SEND provisions, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. However, the Parent View data shows no responses from parents of SEND children, so it is difficult to gauge how well these provisions are working in practice. The school is oversubscribed, so families living within the catchment area or with a strong connection to the school are most likely to secure a place. Holbrook Academy will suit families who value the improved Ofsted rating and the broad extracurricular offer, but who are aware that academic outcomes are below the local average and that the school is still working to raise attainment.

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