Samuel Ward Academy

About Samuel Ward Academy

Samuel Ward Academy, a mixed secondary school in West Suffolk, holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2019. The school’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year sits at -0.23, which places it in the ‘Below average’ banding nationally. This means that, on average, pupils achieved slightly less progress across eight GCSE subjects than their peers with similar starting points. The school ranks 7th out of 12 schools in the West Suffolk local authority on this metric, and 242nd out of 350 schools in the East of England region. While the score is below the national average, it is worth noting that the local authority average Progress 8 score for similar schools is -0.17, so Samuel Ward’s result is broadly in line with the typical performance across Suffolk.

Looking deeper into the GCSE data, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 43.2, and 64.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. However, only 36.4% achieved a grade 5 or above in those core subjects, and just 10.1% entered the English Baccalaureate. The school’s Progress 8 breakdown shows that maths progress (-0.06) was the strongest area, while English and EBacc subjects both recorded -0.28. At A-level, the picture is more challenging: the school’s value-added score is -0.83, classed as ‘Well below average’, with an average grade of D per entry. The best three A-levels averaged a D- grade, and no students achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. This suggests that while the school provides a solid foundation at GCSE, particularly in maths, its sixth form outcomes are weaker compared to national benchmarks.

The school is oversubscribed for Year 7 entry in 2025/26, with 263 applications for 159 places and 146 first-preference offers, giving a ratio of 1.65 applicants per place. Facilities include science labs, a swimming pool, a theatre, tennis courts, and a dedicated sixth form centre, alongside a library and ICT suite. The school offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, including rowing, gymnastics, dance, and clubs such as Debate, Young Enterprise, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Samuel Ward Academy is best suited to families seeking a large, inclusive state secondary with a broad curriculum and strong extracurricular offer, particularly those who value the swimming pool and theatre facilities, and who are comfortable with a school whose academic outcomes are slightly below the national average but improving from a previous Requires Improvement rating.

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