Classpot

St Alban's Catholic High School

Ipswich, IP4 3NJSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Apr 2025
Progress 8
+0.13
Above average
−20+2
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
167 1st-choice / 172 places
Ranking
#1,239
of 3,141 nationally

About St Alban's Catholic High School

Parents considering St Alban's Catholic High School will find strong signals of satisfaction from the school community. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering the period from September 2024 to September 2025, 87% of the 78 respondents said they would recommend the school. That is a solid vote of confidence. The school is also clearly popular: for entry in 2025/26, it received 431 applications for 172 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.51. Of those applications, 167 put the school as their first preference, and 140 of those families were offered a place. Parents responding to the survey reported that their children are happy and feel safe, with 91% agreeing or strongly agreeing with each of those statements. Behaviour is seen positively too, with 80% agreeing the school ensures good conduct. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained, and its graded inspection in January 2020 rated the school Good across all areas, including behaviour and attitudes.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressDigby Road, Ipswich, Ipswich, IP4 3NJ
HeadteacherSimon Corless
Local AuthoritySuffolk
Number of Pupils996
Free School Meals (FSM)20.9%
School Capacity996 / 1,020 (98% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

What 78 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

24 Apr 2025
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (24 Apr 2025): Standards maintained

Source: Ofsted, 23 Feb 2020. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

10
Sports HallICT SuiteSwimming PoolTheatreLibraryArt StudiosScience LabsMusic RoomsChapelSixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

18

Sports

TennisFootballMartial ArtsRugbyGymnasticsBasketballNetballHockey

Clubs & Activities

OrchestraChessScience ClubModel United NationsFilm ClubYoung EnterpriseArt ClubDramaDebateDuke of Edinburgh

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About St Alban's Catholic High School

St Alban's Catholic High School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.