Gooderstone Church of England Primary Academy

About Gooderstone Church of England Primary Academy

Gooderstone Church of England Primary Academy is a small state primary in the Norfolk village of Gooderstone, within the Breckland district. It is one of 344 primary schools across the local authority, and its most recent ranking places it 231st among them, putting it in the bottom half of Norfolk primaries. Among its local peers, the top-performing schools in the area include Ditchingham Church of England Primary Academy and Surlingham Primary School, both of which achieved the highest possible ranking score of 100, with Stalham Academy close behind at 89. Gooderstone’s own ranking score of 30 reflects a more modest position, though the school serves a very small cohort of just 50 pupils against a capacity of 70, giving it a notably intimate feel. The school is a Church of England academy, led by headteacher Sarah Godbold, and offers nursery provision for children from age three, making it a genuine all-through primary option for local families.

Academically, Gooderstone’s most recent Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show that 30% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. This is well below the Norfolk local authority average of 52%. In reading, 40% reached the expected level, with 20% achieving a higher standard; in writing, 40% met expectations and 10% reached the higher threshold; and in maths, 30% achieved the expected standard, with none reaching the higher level. Average scaled scores were 95 in reading and 96 in maths. The school’s Ofsted rating is Good, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2016. The most recent graded inspection in 2019 rated overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and early years provision all as Good, and an ungraded inspection in June 2024 confirmed the school remains Good. The early years provision was rated Good in both inspections.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, a sensory room, a forest school area and a chapel. Sports on offer include cricket, athletics, rounders, gymnastics and swimming, and there are clubs for chess, coding and film. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school was oversubscribed: it received 8 applications for 3 places, with all 3 first-preference applicants offered a place, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.67. This suggests strong local demand for a small, village-based Church of England primary with a nurturing, community feel. Gooderstone will suit families who value a very small school environment, strong early years provision, and a setting that integrates faith, outdoor learning and specialist support.

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