Ormiston Endeavour Academy Review 2026: A small 11 to 16 academy with clear routines, strong safeguarding, and broad enrichment

A smaller-than-average secondary in north-east Ipswich, Ormiston Endeavour Academy has the feel of a school that wants every student to be known, not managed at scale. The academy joined Ormiston Academies Trust and opened as its current establishment on 01 January 2012, which matters because much of the school’s identity is tied to the trust’s improvement model and shared curriculum approach.

The current principal is Jamie Daniels, who joined in September 2018, giving leadership continuity through the most recent inspection cycle.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (16 to 17 March 2022) confirmed the school continues to be Good, with effective safeguarding and a strong culture of care and expectations.

The academy sets out a values-led identity focused on aspirations, excellence, and kindness, and it reinforces these through the language of belonging, including the symbolic “academy tie” described to new starters.

The strongest picture of day-to-day experience comes from the school’s most recent inspection evidence. Pupils are described as attentive in lessons, respectful at social times, and confident to report concerns, including bullying, with staff expected to respond quickly. That combination of calm routines and trusted adults is often the difference between a student who simply attends and a student who feels secure enough to engage properly with learning.

Although the academy is part of a large national trust, the internal tone is intentionally local and relational. Staff are described as proud to work there, and the school is characterised as friendly with a family feel. In practical terms, that tends to show up in consistent expectations, stable pastoral systems, and quicker identification of students who need targeted help, rather than a one-size approach.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the academy is ranked 3334th in England and 14th in Ipswich. This places performance below England average overall, within the bottom 40% band.

The headline measures support that positioning:

• Attainment 8 is 38.9, compared with the England average of 45.9.

• Progress 8 is -0.09, which indicates progress slightly below average from students’ starting points.

• EBacc average point score is 3.2, compared with the England average of 4.08.

• The EBacc grade 5+ measure is 4.1 which is notably low and suggests EBacc outcomes are an area to interrogate carefully when comparing local options.

For families, the implication is straightforward. This is not currently a results-driven outlier in league-table terms, but it is also not a school where outcomes can be dismissed as unstructured. Leadership has designed an ambitious curriculum with defined knowledge and sequencing, and the quality of day-to-day teaching routines and checking for understanding is a stated strength. Where results are not yet where families want them to be, the most useful question is whether your child benefits from that structured approach and whether the curriculum and support systems align with their needs.

Parents comparing local schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view these measures side-by-side with nearby secondaries in Ipswich, using the same dataset definitions.

Curriculum intent is deliberately broad and ambitious, with subject leaders defining essential knowledge and a clear order of learning. Teachers are described as routinely checking understanding, addressing misconceptions quickly, and ensuring learning is secure before moving on. This approach tends to suit students who benefit from explicit instruction and frequent feedback loops, particularly in core subjects where gaps can widen quickly in Key Stage 3.

Support for reading is a notable operational priority. Leaders identify pupils who find reading difficult, including those new to English, and provide targeted support to build fluency so that students can access the wider curriculum.

The clearest development point is consistency of assessment and monitoring across all subjects. Some assessment systems were still developing at the time of the latest inspection, and pupils were not always clear about how well they were progressing in every area. For families, that translates into a practical question to raise during transition conversations, namely how progress is communicated subject by subject, and what happens when a student starts to fall behind in a particular area.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form, the academy’s job is to prepare students for good post-16 choices, and it publishes a clear list of local providers it works with. These include apprenticeship support via Apprenticeships Suffolk and several college and sixth form options, including Kesgrave Sixth Form, Northgate Sixth Form, One Sixth Form College, Suffolk New College (including Rural), West Suffolk College, and YMCA Training.

The implication is positive for students who want a guided pathway rather than being left to work it out late in Year 11. A published provider list signals that careers guidance is expected to be practical and local, and the inspection evidence supports this, describing strong careers education with work experience opportunities and structured guidance for Key Stage 3 options and post-16 applications.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Suffolk County Council rather than directly through the academy. The published admission number is 180 places per year group.

The academy’s oversubscription criteria follow a familiar hierarchy. After Education, Health and Care Plans naming the academy, priority is given to looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional medical or social needs (with professional evidence), siblings, then distance from the academy, with a tie-break by random allocation if distances are identical.

For September 2026 entry, the academy states the process begins in September 2025. The deadline quoted for applications is 31 October, with offers made through the local authority on national offer day (01 March, or the next working day).

The school’s open event information is deliberately cautious on exact dates. It indicates the next open event will be held in September 2025, with details published later, which is typical for schools that publish dates once staffing and rooming are finalised.

Parents who are weighing distance-based criteria should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their location against likely travel time and practical routes, then confirm the local authority’s distance rules in the coordinated admissions guidance.

A strong safeguarding culture is explicitly confirmed, with staff described as vigilant about risks inside and outside school, and leaders acting quickly when concerns are raised, including where external agencies are needed.

Day-to-day conduct is framed as a shared responsibility. Pupils are described as self-managing behaviour well, showing maturity and respect, and enabling learning without disruption. In practice, that matters most for students who are easily distracted or anxious, because calm lessons reduce cognitive load and allow students to focus on the task rather than the room.

The academy also highlights wellbeing support structures through its published student support links and policies, and it explicitly positions the environment as safe and welcoming. While policies do not replace lived experience, they provide a useful window into expectations around reporting concerns and how staff are expected to respond.

Enrichment is framed as more than an add-on. The academy describes a programme designed to develop key skills through activities not always available in the taught timetable, drawing on staff interests and community resources.

Specific examples matter because they show what students can actually do, rather than what schools say in general terms. Published enrichment examples include debating, cake making, childcare studies, enterprise, and computer programming.

There is also a structured Duke of Edinburgh’s Award offer, with Bronze positioned as a mainstream opportunity and staff named as points of contact.

The most recent inspection evidence adds further texture via the “Endeavour Experience”, including a theatre trip to London and student involvement in reopening a local swimming pool. For students who learn best when education connects to real activity and real places, those examples suggest enrichment is not purely school-based, and it can reinforce confidence and social development alongside academics.

The academy day is clearly set out. Breakfast club opens at 7.30am; students are expected on site by 8.25am, and the school day ends at 3.00pm.

After school, the academy states there is a range of extracurricular clubs spanning sporting, creative, and academic activities, with details typically varying by term.

• Academic outcomes are currently below England average. The GCSE ranking and core measures indicate performance sits in the lower band nationally; families should consider whether their child will benefit from the school’s structured teaching and targeted support, or whether a different academic profile is a better fit.

• Assessment consistency has been a development area. The latest inspection notes some subjects were still refining assessment and monitoring, and pupils were not always clear about their progress in every subject. Ask how this is handled now, particularly for foundation subjects.

• No sixth form. Students need a confident post-16 plan at 16, but the academy does publish a clear local provider list and describes structured careers guidance, which can be a strength for students who want supported decision-making.

Ormiston Endeavour Academy offers a smaller secondary setting with clear routines, strong safeguarding, and a deliberate emphasis on enrichment and local opportunity. Results are not currently a headline strength in England terms, but teaching practices, curriculum design, and pastoral stability are described as coherent and purposeful. Best suited to families seeking an 11 to 16 school where students are known well, behaviour is calm, and there is structured support for reading and next-step choices at 16.

Families interested in this option should use the Saved Schools feature to manage comparisons, and then focus visits and questions on assessment consistency, subject-by-subject progress tracking, and the specific support available for their child’s starting points.