Costessey Primary School
92%
Capacity
581
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Costessey Primary School
Costessey Primary School was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a rating it has held consistently since at least its previous inspection in 2012. The inspection report singled out personal development as Outstanding, while quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management were all judged Good. On the key academic metric for primary schools, 62% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined in the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments. That figure sits comfortably above the Norfolk local authority average of 52%, placing the school 20th out of 54 primary schools in South Norfolk. It also ranks in the top half nationally, at the 51st percentile.
Digging deeper into the KS2 results, the school’s strongest subject was reading, where 77% of pupils reached the expected standard and 18% achieved the higher standard. In maths, 75% met expectations and 18% hit the higher mark, while writing saw 71% at expected and 12% at the higher level. The average scaled scores were 105 in maths and 104 in reading, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. Only 7% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects, which is a more selective measure. The school’s overall ranking score of 62 places it in the bottom 50% nationally, but within its local context it performs respectably, especially given that 27.1% of its 581 pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average.
The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 133 applications for 69 places, with 67 of those being first-preference offers. It offers a nursery provision for children aged three and up, and facilities include a forest school, sensory room, ICT suite, library, art studios and a gymnasium. Sports on offer include tennis, dance, gymnastics and athletics, while clubs range from gardening and eco club to choir and science club. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including dyslexia, speech and language difficulties, social and emotional needs, and physical disabilities. For families considering their options, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is Chapel Break Infant School, just 0.8 km away, but Costessey Primary offers strong local results and a broad set of provisions that make it a solid choice for many families in South Norfolk.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Three Mile Lane, Norwich, South Norfolk, NR5 0RR |
| Headteacher | Alex Griffiths |
| Local Authority | Norfolk |
| Number of Pupils | 581 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 27.1% |
| School Capacity | 581 / 630 (92% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
27 Jun 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 13 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (62%)
7066th of 13,686
Nationally
761st of 1,612
In East of England
20th of 54
In South Norfolk
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
62%
Expected Standard
7%
Higher Standard
'22/23
54%
'23/24
62%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
9Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed69
133
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
67 families put this school as their 1st choice (50% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:50 – 15:10
Breakfast club
07:30-08:50
After-school care
15:10-18:00
Source: costesseyprimary.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British81.9%
- Mixed4.2%
- Asian3.8%
- White (other)3.4%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Costessey Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Three Mile Lane, Norwich
South Norfolk, NR5 0RR
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Costessey Primary School!
Write a Review