Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy Review 2026: Big-school breadth with a clear Christian ethos

A large, non-selective 11–16 academy serving Fairfield and the wider Stockton-on-Tees area, Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy combines the scale of a full secondary with a strong emphasis on belonging and values. Capacity is listed as 1,185, with 1,165 pupils on roll.

Physical environment matters here. The site was rebuilt through the Priority School Building Programme, with new classrooms plus a four-court sports hall, an activity studio, and a drama space highlighted in the official reopening announcement. That investment shapes daily life, because it supports a timetable with practical subjects, performance, and sport happening alongside core academic learning.

Leadership is currently under Miss Donna Park, listed as headteacher on official listings. The academy is part of Northern Lights Learning Trust, as shown on the official Ofsted provider record.

Relationships and tone are a defining feature. The academy’s public materials repeatedly frame the culture as inclusive and values-led, with the mission statement expressed as: Together to learn, to grow, to serve. In practice, that tends to translate into high visibility staff presence, structured routines, and clear expectations, with leadership roles such as prefects used to reinforce responsibility.

Faith is not an add-on. The curriculum overview describes a DEEP curriculum built around five Christian values, Hope, Joy, Forgiveness, Wisdom and Perseverance. Collective worship is positioned as a regular anchor point, and pupils are encouraged to engage with social action and service as part of wider personal development. This tends to suit families who want a recognisably Church of England character that still feels open to a mixed community.

The latest Ofsted inspection (22–23 November 2022, published 24 January 2023) graded the academy Good overall, with Good in each key judgement area.

On attainment measures, the academy’s most recent dataset profile places it broadly in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Specifically, it ranks 2,600th in England and 10th within Stockton-on-Tees for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The underlying headline measures show:

• Attainment 8 score: 45

• Progress 8 score: -0.38

• EBacc average point score: 3.78 (England average: 4.08)

• Percentage achieving grade 5+ in EBacc: 5.7%

That picture suggests a school where outcomes are workable for many pupils, but with a clear improvement opportunity around progress and EBacc strength, particularly for pupils aiming for more academic GCSE combinations.

Curriculum breadth is explicitly prioritised. Around 40% of pupils study EBacc subjects, which signals a deliberate attempt to keep languages and humanities in the mix for a significant minority rather than making them niche options. A sensible parent takeaway is that the academy appears to be trying to balance inclusivity with ambition, though families with highly academic trajectories may want to probe how sets, homework, and stretch are structured for top-end attainment.

The academy’s teaching narrative centres on clarity of curriculum planning and regular knowledge-checking, with frequent revisiting of prior content. That approach typically benefits pupils who need structure, because it reduces the number of lessons that assume prior mastery.

Reading and literacy are also positioned as a whole-school priority. The published materials refer to reading tests across year groups, staff training in reading strategies, corridor “little libraries”, and a reading award described as unique to the academy. The practical implication is straightforward: if your child is a reluctant reader, this is a school that appears to have a system, rather than leaving literacy solely to English lessons.

Finally, the presence of rebuilt specialist spaces matters. It is easier to teach design, practical science, drama, and physical education effectively when facilities support safe, repeatable routines. The official reopening summary explicitly references a sports hall, activity studio, and drama space, which supports a timetable where applied learning is taken seriously.

Where Students Go Next

With an 11–16 age range, students leave after Year 11. Careers education and next-step planning therefore matter earlier than in a school with a sixth form. The 2022 inspection record notes that pupils receive careers advice, links are made between careers and curriculum, and statutory requirements around technical and apprenticeship pathways are addressed.

What the academy does not publish in the available material is a quantified destinations breakdown. In the absence of that, families should focus on process questions: how early guidance begins, how the school supports applications to sixth forms or further education colleges, and how it matches pupils to pathways for Level 3 study, apprenticeships, or vocational routes.

Admissions are coordinated through Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council for Year 7 entry. For September 2026 entry, the local authority confirms applications opened in early September 2025, with the on-time deadline at midnight on 31 October 2025. Offers are aligned to National Offer Day, with the council noting communications on 1 March 2026 or the next working day, and specifically indicating Monday 2 March 2026 for email notifications in that round.

The academy’s published documentation points families back to the local authority Common Application Form route, which is standard for Stockton secondary applications. The academy is also described as oversubscribed in its public-facing messaging, so families should assume distance, siblings, and any priority criteria will matter in a competitive year. If you are weighing move-versus-apply decisions, FindMySchool’s Map Search is the most practical way to sanity-check proximity and compare alternatives across the local area.

The scale of the school is notable. Academy materials refer to approximately 1,180 pupils on roll and a published admission number of 237 per year group. That intake size can work well for families seeking broad peer groups and wide option blocks, though it can feel less personal for pupils who need very small settings.

Pastoral structures appear to have been designed to keep pupils safe, known, and supported, despite the school’s size. There is a nurture group referenced for some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, intended to help pupils access the full curriculum while also meeting additional needs. The reported emphasis on meeting emotional, social and mental health needs within SEND is an encouraging signal for families whose child needs predictable routines and calm spaces.

Safeguarding is treated as an operational discipline, with staff training and regular multi-agency work described, plus processes intended to ensure concerns are acted on promptly. Inspectors confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

A reasonable question for prospective families is how the school balances consistent behaviour expectations with support for pupils who struggle, particularly given the mention of occasional low-level disruption. The best schools in this bracket tend to be the ones where classroom routines, follow-up, and parental communication are tight enough that small issues do not become bigger ones.

Extracurricular provision is presented as broad, with a specific emphasis on inclusion rather than only elite participation. The 2022 inspection record notes a wide-ranging offer and strong club participation, including among pupils with SEND, plus a culture week positioned as a popular feature of student experience.

The academy also publishes a structured clubs and activities list, including Homework Club, Anti Bullying Ambassadors, KS4 Art Club, and Choir. These named options matter, because they reveal what the school is actively resourcing rather than what it could theoretically offer. Homework Club, for example, can be a quiet but powerful leveller for families who cannot always supervise work at home, while Anti Bullying Ambassadors signals an attempt to make pupil voice part of the safeguarding culture.

Facilities add weight to those activities. Sport and performance are supported by the rebuilt site, with the government reopening note explicitly referencing a four-court sports hall and drama space. When those spaces are used well, the benefit is not just enrichment; it is engagement, attendance, and confidence for pupils who do not define themselves purely by exams.

Ian Ramsey is a state school with no tuition fees. Day-to-day costs are more likely to be uniform, educational visits, and optional enrichment activities.

On the published school-day information, the site is open from 8am, and there is a breakfast club in the dining area where pupils can get a free slice of toast and a juice. The Learning Resource Centre is also described as open before school, at breaks, at lunchtimes, and after school on multiple days, which is useful for pupils who benefit from a predictable place to work.

For travel, most families will look at walking routes from Fairfield and nearby areas, plus local bus services into Stockton. If transport logistics are central to your choice, ask specifically about after-school timings for clubs and how late study spaces remain open on different days.

• Progress and consistency. The Progress 8 score is -0.38, which indicates pupils, on average, make below-average progress from their starting points. Families with high academic ambitions should ask how the school targets stretch and rapid improvement.

• Low-level disruption. External evaluation highlights that some pupils report occasional low-level disruption in lessons. The practical question is how consistently behaviour policy is applied across departments, and what escalation looks like when issues repeat.

• Parent communication. Some parents raised concerns about communication in the 2022 evidence base. If regular, proactive updates matter to you, probe how tutor contact, behaviour notifications, and progress reporting work in practice.

• No sixth form. Students move on after Year 11. For some families this is a positive, because it encourages a deliberate post-16 choice, but it does mean you will be planning the next step earlier.

Ian Ramsey Church of England Academy is a large, values-led Stockton secondary with facilities that support a broad curriculum and a visible commitment to inclusion. Its results profile is broadly typical for England, with a clear improvement case around progress and higher academic pathways. Best suited to families who want a Church of England ethos within a mainstream, non-selective setting, and who value breadth of opportunity alongside structured pastoral support.