St Alban's Catholic High School is a mainstream secondary school in Ipswich, Suffolk, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. In January 2026, 97 of its 967 pupils (10%) were getting SEN support and 29 (3%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–18
- 967 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Suffolk.
10% get SEN support
97 of 967 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
Lower than the England average.
3% have an EHC plan
29 of 967 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health46
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia27
- Speech, language and communication16
- Autism15
- Moderate learning difficulty10
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 967 (places for 1,020)
- Headteacher
- Headteacher Simon Corless (Principal)
- Part of
- Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi Academy Trust
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 20.6% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Suffolk
- School reference (URN)
- 137849
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Suffolk council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Rated Good, January 2020; standards maintained (April 2025)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in January 2020.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, April 2025).
Contact and getting there
Digby Road, Ipswich, IP4 3NJ
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Copleston High School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Rushmere Hall Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.8 miles
- Woodbridge Road Academy Special school · Ages 9–16 1.2 miles
- Redstone Hall School Independent · Ages 7–16 1.8 miles
Other mainstream schools
- St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Ipswich Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 10.8%, EHC plans 1.9% 0.6 miles
- Britannia Primary School and Nursery Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 10.8%, EHC plans 1.9% 0.7 miles
- Broke Hall Community Primary School Primary · Ages 3–11 · SEN support 11.5%, EHC plans 2% 0.9 miles
Questions about St Alban's Catholic High School
How many pupils at St Alban's Catholic High School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 97 of the 967 pupils (10%) were getting SEN support and 29 (3%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Alban's Catholic High School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (46 pupils), dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (27 pupils) and speech, language and communication needs (16 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Alban's Catholic High School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Alban's Catholic High School?
Through Suffolk council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Alban's Catholic High School?
You can ask for St Alban's Catholic High School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Alban's Catholic High School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Copleston High School, about 0.6 miles away.
Where is St Alban's Catholic High School?
Digby Road, Ipswich, IP4 3NJ, in Suffolk.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.