Admissions to schools in Suffolk for the 2025/2026 school year

The size of Northgate High School’s catchment area is generally appropriate for the current housing developments within it. However, there are sometimes more catchment area applications than school places available and so it would not be fair, or lawful, to expand the number of properties in the catchment area substantially, as this would impact on already established residents in the catchment area.

The upcoming Ipswich Garden Suburb Housing Development is expected to include 3,500 homes and a new secondary school. This includes ‘Henley Gate’ which is currently under construction, with ‘Fonnereau’ next and ‘Red House’, the third phase, moving through the planning approval processes.

The catchment area boundary for Northgate High School will be redrawn to include the current housing, except for Red House Farm, within its catchment area. This means that the open fields within the current catchment area and Red House Farm would sit outside of Northgate High School’s catchment area from the 2025/2026 school year. There are currently no pupils living in the area that is being removed from Northgate High School’s catchment area.

This new development will be served by a new secondary school. Until the new secondary school is opened, the nearest suitable school for ‘Henley Gate’ will be Ormiston Endeavour Academy; some of ‘Fonnereau’ will be nearer to Ormiston Endeavour Academy and some nearer to Northgate High School and ‘Red House’ will be nearer to Northgate High School. For all of the new development, the nearest school will be within two miles of the home address.

The size of Thurston Community College’s catchment area is generally appropriate to meet the demand for school places from within the current housing developments located within it. SET Ixworth School is also located in Thurston Community College’s catchment area and supports local demand for school places.

In preparation for the upcoming Cattishall Housing Development which has had outline planning approved for 1,375 homes, the catchment area boundary for Thurston Community College will be redrawn to only include the current housing within its catchment area. The open fields within the current catchment area, shaded in blue on the map below, will sit outside of Thurston Community College’s catchment area from the 2025/2026 school year. There are currently no properties in the area we are removing from Thurston Community College’s catchment area.

Sybil Andrews Academy’s accommodation already includes additional school places to meet the new demand from the Cattishall Housing Development.

The nearest suitable school for the Cattishall Housing Development will be Sybil Andrews Academy and will be under two miles from the home address.