Westbourne Academy Review 2026: An 11–16 Ipswich academy focused on rebuilding consistency

Westbourne Academy is a large 11–16 secondary academy in Ipswich, serving a mixed intake and operating at a scale of around 1,120 places. Its identity is closely linked to clear behavioural expectations, character education, and practical readiness for life beyond school, framed through the academy’s STAR ethos (Be Safe, Be Thoughtful, Be Accountable, Be Respectful) and its LORIC character strands (Leadership, Organisation, Resilience, Independence, Communication).

The June 2025 Ofsted inspection graded all four key judgements as Inadequate and placed the school in special measures.

The same report confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Leadership is clearly defined on the academy’s own materials. Martin Higgon is named as Principal, having been appointed in September 2024, which matters because families are effectively assessing a school in a period of reset, with priorities that are necessarily about stabilising behaviour, improving attendance, and ensuring a consistent learning experience across classrooms.

Westbourne is explicit about its desired culture: pupils are expected to be safe, thoughtful, accountable, and respectful, and the academy repeatedly links day-to-day routines to these expectations. The strongest interpretation of this approach is practical: it gives staff and pupils shared language for what “good” looks like, which is often the starting point for improving consistency in a large school.

Alongside STAR, the academy uses LORIC to describe the character habits it wants students to develop over time. This is the kind of framework that tends to show up in tutor time, assemblies, classroom routines, and co-curricular recognition. For families, the implication is straightforward: if your child responds well to clear structures and frequent reinforcement of expectations, the academy’s stated culture is aligned with that preference.

It is also important to be candid about the context. The most recent formal evaluation describes a school where many pupils are polite and keen to learn, but where disruption from a minority has been a persistent barrier to calm routines in corridors and classrooms. That matters because a child’s day-to-day experience can vary depending on how consistently behaviour is managed across lessons, particularly at transition points and in busy shared spaces.

Westbourne’s published performance indicators point to outcomes that sit below the England average range for state secondaries. In 2024, Attainment 8 was 41.6. Progress 8 was -0.38, which indicates pupils made less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. (These are official measures; the implication is that the academy has work to do on translating curriculum plans into consistently strong outcomes across subjects.)

A second signal is EBacc: the average EBacc points score was 3.54, compared with an England average of 4.08, and 8.5% achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc. Together, these figures suggest a need for stronger consistency in subject learning, assessment, and attendance, because sustained progress in a broad academic suite typically depends on those fundamentals.

Rankings provide additional context for parents comparing local schools. Ranked 2,810th in England and 12th in Ipswich for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results place the academy below England average overall.

For families using FindMySchool to short-list, the practical next step is to use the Local Hub comparison view to place these figures alongside nearby options, then check whether the improvement plan trajectory, curriculum offer, and pastoral fit align with your child’s needs and temperament.

The academy’s curriculum intent is described in structured terms, with an emphasis on helping students build knowledge over time and develop employability and life skills. The academy also references common classroom routines, including the use of “Do now” tasks to support recall and establish a purposeful start to lessons. For parents, this matters because predictable lesson openings and consistent checking for understanding are often part of what stabilises learning in large mixed-ability settings.

The key question is consistency. Where teaching routines are applied well and lessons remain settled, pupils can learn effectively and achieve well. Where disruption is frequent, learning time is lost and teachers’ ability to move through curriculum content at the right pace is constrained. In practical terms, families should probe how the academy is supporting staff to apply behaviour expectations consistently, and how quickly disruption is addressed so that teaching time is protected.

Reading support is another area parents may wish to ask about. The most recent report described support for pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read as needing clearer oversight and tighter monitoring of impact. This is relevant even at secondary level because weak reading fluency can limit access across the full curriculum, particularly in humanities and science where vocabulary load is high.

Westbourne is an 11–16 academy, so the main destination question is post-16 transition. The academy’s public-facing materials place clear emphasis on careers education from early secondary years, and the most recent inspection commentary referenced careers learning from Year 7. This matters because schools without a sixth form need a strong and well-managed transition into local sixth forms, colleges, apprenticeships, and technical routes.

The academy does not publish detailed destination statistics in the materials reviewed here, and Oxbridge-style measures do not apply given the age range. What parents can reasonably look for instead is evidence of practical preparation: a coherent careers programme, meaningful employer encounters, and clear guidance for Year 10 and Year 11 students on how to choose and apply for next steps. It is also sensible to ask how the academy supports students who need additional help with attendance, behaviour, or literacy, because these factors can shape post-16 readiness more than option choices alone.

Year 7 entry is managed through Suffolk’s local authority admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the academy states that the application closing date is 31 October 2025, and it indicates a planned Year 7 intake of 224 places for that entry year.

Suffolk’s published timetable for the 2026–2027 admissions round confirms that families can view outcomes on National Offer Day on 2 March 2026. It also sets a mid-March date for declining a place if you do not wish to accept it. This matters because families sometimes miss the second step, assuming that the offer process ends with the application.

The most useful admissions work is practical rather than speculative. Parents should read the academy’s published oversubscription criteria and understand how distance is measured, then sanity-check logistics, including travel time and arrival routines, because consistency at the start and end of the day can be especially important for students who thrive on predictable structure.

For families who want to visit, the academy references open evening activity for Year 6 families and indicates that open events typically occur in October. Dates can vary year to year, so use the academy’s current prospectus and announcements to confirm the next available opportunity.

Pastoral strength in any large secondary school rests on two pillars: safeguarding culture and consistent day-to-day routines. Safeguarding is confirmed as effective in the most recent formal evaluation, which is a baseline reassurance for families assessing the school’s systems and record-keeping.

The more difficult pastoral issue is behaviour and the wider student experience. The latest evaluation described frequent disruption from a minority, alongside concerns about derogatory language and the extent to which incidents are reported and addressed. For parents, the implication is to ask direct questions: how are corridors supervised, what happens when a lesson is disrupted, how quickly do leaders respond, and how is the academy supporting students who feel anxious or unsettled by repeated incidents.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities is another area to probe carefully. The latest evaluation raised concerns about how well the academy understood specific needs and how consistently support was applied. Families of children with SEND should ask about identification, targeted intervention, and how teaching is adapted in mainstream classrooms, not just what happens outside them.

Westbourne’s co-curricular offer is published in a seasonal timetable, which is helpful because it shows specific clubs, venues, and year-group access rather than general statements. Across Spring 2026, the programme includes E-Sports Club, Coding Club, Chess Club, Samba Drumming, and a structured Library or Safe Space drop-in, alongside Homework Club after school. The implication for students is that there are several low-barrier options that build routine, confidence, and a sense of belonging, particularly for those who are not immediately drawn to competitive sport.

Performing arts appear as a visible strand through scheduled Shrek rehearsals in the main hall. That kind of production work can be a strong motivator for some students, especially those who engage better with collaborative, role-based activity than with purely desk-based learning. It can also be a meaningful vehicle for improving attendance and punctuality when students feel accountable to a cast and crew.

Sport provision is clearly mapped onto facilities such as the 3G pitch, sports hall, fitness suite, and designated gym spaces. Options include football, basketball, netball, badminton, and activities sessions for both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. The practical point for families is that sport at Westbourne is organised in a way that can include both lunchtime participation and after-school routine, which may suit students who need structured outlets for energy and teamwork.

A particularly distinctive strand is the Combined Cadet Force, available from Year 9, which focuses on leadership, confidence, and team-based challenge. Activities listed include drill, first aid, fieldcraft, and adventure training such as kayaking and sailing. For the right student, this kind of programme can provide a strong sense of identity and progression across Years 9 to 11.

Westbourne is an academy within Academy Transformation Trust, and this trust context matters because improvement work, staffing capacity, and specialist support are often organised at trust level, particularly during periods of change.

The academy publishes reception opening hours (8:00 to 15:45 on weekdays, with an earlier close on Fridays) and directs visitors to report to reception for safeguarding. Families should confirm student arrival and dismissal routines through current academy communications, as these do not always mirror reception opening hours.

• Behaviour consistency. The most recent formal evaluation describes frequent disruption from a minority, with impact on learning time and staff confidence. This is a material factor for families whose child needs calm routines to feel secure and learn well.

• Attendance and engagement. Low attendance is highlighted as a concern, and attendance is tightly linked to progress at GCSE. Parents should ask how the academy identifies barriers, supports families, and follows up persistent absence.

• SEND experience. The latest evaluation raised concerns about the consistency and precision of SEND support. Families should explore classroom adaptations, monitoring, and how additional spaces are used, particularly if their child needs specific scaffolding to access learning.

• No sixth form. As an 11–16 school, the academy’s success partly depends on how well it transitions students into post-16 routes. If your child benefits from continuity into Year 12, explore how Westbourne builds links with local providers and prepares students for applications and interviews.

Westbourne Academy is a large Ipswich secondary where the stated ambition is clear, a disciplined culture, strong character habits, and practical readiness for the next stage. The recent inspection outcome, alongside evidence of disruption and uneven experience for some groups, means families should treat this as a school in active improvement rather than a finished product.

Who it suits: students who respond well to explicit expectations, benefit from structured co-curricular options such as cadets, sport, and production work, and whose families value a clearly articulated behaviour and character framework. It may be less comfortable for students who are highly sensitive to disruption or who need consistently calm learning spaces, unless the family is confident in the academy’s current trajectory and support plan.