Best secondary schools in Suffolk (2026)
Suffolk has 42 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is Debenham High School, in the top 14% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 43.4, against 46.1 for England. 0 are in England's top 10%, and 0 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Suffolk has no grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 14% in England |
Debenham High School Debenham · Church of England |
55.6 | 55.7 | 68% | Good | |
2 Top 22% in England |
Hartismere School Eye (Mid Suffolk) |
52.3 | 53.0 | 58% | Not judged | |
3 Top 26% in England |
St Benedict's Catholic School Bury St Edmunds · Roman Catholic |
51.4 | 49.8 | 50% | No rating | |
4 Top 28% in England |
Northgate High School Ipswich |
50.5 | 50.6 | 55% | Not judged | |
5 Top 32% in England |
Kesgrave High School Kesgrave |
49.4 | 49.7 | 52% | Good | |
6 Top 33% in England |
Copleston High School Ipswich |
49.0 | 46.9 | 48% | No rating | |
7 Top 37% in England |
Thomas Gainsborough School Sudbury |
48.3 | 46.1 | 46% | Not judged | |
8 Top 38% in England |
Stradbroke High School Stradbroke |
47.3 | 44.3 | 47% | No rating | |
9 Top 42% in England |
St Alban's Catholic High School Ipswich · Roman Catholic |
47.8 | 46.9 | 42% | Good | |
10 Top 42% in England |
Thomas Mills High School & Sixth Form Framlingham |
48.5 | 48.4 | 46% | Good | |
11 Top 44% in England |
Bury St Edmunds County High School Bury St Edmunds |
47.5 | 49.8 | 53% | Report card | |
12 Top 44% in England |
Sybil Andrews Academy Bury St Edmunds |
46.5 | 49.5 | 56% | Good | |
13 Top 46% in England |
East Bergholt High School East Bergholt |
46.7 | 47.8 | 48% | No rating | |
14 Top 48% in England |
Stour Valley Community School Clare |
46.5 | 44.5 | 42% | Good | |
15 Top 50% in England |
Sir John Leman High School Beccles |
46.3 | 44.8 | 41% | Report card | |
16 Top 50% in England |
Thurston Community College Thurston |
45.7 | 46.9 | 51% | No rating | |
17 Bottom 48% in England |
Farlingaye High School Woodbridge |
45.8 | 43.8 | 40% | Report card | |
18 Bottom 47% in England |
Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics Lowestoft |
44.8 | 44.9 | 46% | Not judged | |
19 Bottom 43% in England |
Hadleigh High School Hadleigh |
44.8 | 43.6 | 40% | No rating | |
20 Bottom 43% in England |
Claydon High School Claydon |
44.9 | 45.0 | 42% | Report card | |
21 Bottom 42% in England |
King Edward VI CEVC School Bury St Edmunds · Church of England |
44.5 | 45.4 | 38% | No rating | |
22 Bottom 41% in England |
Bungay High School Bungay |
44.3 | 41.7 | 36% | Report card | |
23 Bottom 40% in England |
Samuel Ward Academy Haverhill |
43.9 | 43.8 | 42% | Good | |
24 Bottom 39% in England |
East Point Academy Lowestoft |
42.0 | 39.5 | 43% | No rating | |
25 Bottom 39% in England |
Newmarket Academy Newmarket |
43.1 | 45.9 | 46% | Good | |
26 Bottom 38% in England |
Stowmarket High School Stowmarket |
43.0 | 40.5 | 35% | Not judged | |
27 Bottom 31% in England |
Stowupland High School Stowupland |
41.1 | 41.1 | 40% | Requires improvement | |
28 Bottom 26% in England |
Castle Manor Academy Haverhill |
41.7 | 40.3 | 32% | No rating | |
29 Bottom 24% in England |
Holbrook Academy Holbrook (Babergh) |
41.0 | 41.2 | 34% | Report card | |
30 Bottom 23% in England |
Breckland School Brandon (West Suffolk) |
41.1 | 42.4 | 33% | No rating | |
31 Bottom 21% in England |
Ixworth High School Ixworth |
40.3 | 44.0 | 37% | Not judged | |
32 Bottom 17% in England |
Mildenhall College Academy Mildenhall (West Suffolk) |
39.7 | 37.4 | 27% | No rating | |
33 Bottom 17% in England |
Ormiston Endeavour Academy Ipswich |
39.1 | 42.8 | 34% | No rating | |
34 Bottom 16% in England |
Ormiston Sudbury Academy Sudbury |
38.9 | 39.6 | 42% | Report card | |
35 Bottom 12% in England |
Pakefield High School Lowestoft |
37.9 | 38.4 | 28% | Good | |
36 Bottom 12% in England |
Felixstowe School Felixstowe |
37.8 | 38.5 | 27% | Good | |
37 Bottom 10% in England |
Ormiston Denes Academy Lowestoft |
37.5 | 40.5 | 30% | Not judged | |
38 Bottom 10% in England |
Ipswich Academy Ipswich |
36.0 | 37.6 | 30% | Requires improvement | |
39 Bottom 8% in England |
Alde Valley Academy Leiston |
36.7 | 33.7 | 24% | Requires improvement | |
40 Bottom 6% in England |
Chantry Academy Ipswich |
34.7 | 33.9 | 26% | Good | |
41 Bottom 5% in England |
Stoke High School - Ormiston Academy Ipswich |
34.6 | 34.3 | 22% | Report card | |
42 Bottom 1% in England |
Beccles High School Beccles |
29.0 | 27.6 | 18% | Requires improvement |
Best secondary school in each town
- Bury St Edmunds · best: St Benedict's Catholic School
- Ipswich · best: Northgate High School
- Lowestoft · best: Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics
Also see
Questions
What is the best secondary school in Suffolk?
On exam results over the last three years, Debenham High School is the top-ranked secondary school in Suffolk, in the top 14% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.