Greyfriars Academy

About Greyfriars Academy

Greyfriars Academy is a state primary school in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, part of the Norfolk local authority. It ranks 51st out of 58 schools in its immediate borough, placing it in the bottom half locally, and 237th out of 344 primary schools across the wider Norfolk area. For context, the top-performing peers in the same LA include Ditchingham Church of England Primary Academy and Surlingham Primary School, both of which achieve the highest possible ranking score of 100, while Stalham Academy follows closely with a score of 89. Greyfriars itself sits in the bottom 50% nationally, with a ranking score of 28 based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. The school is led by headteacher Aidan McGovern and has 204 pupils on roll against a capacity of 304, meaning there is room for growth. It is a mixed, non-religious school for children aged 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Academically, Greyfriars Academy faces significant challenges. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, just 28% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well below the Norfolk LA average of 52%. No pupils achieved the higher standard in that combined measure. Individual subject scores tell a similar story: 39% met the expected standard in reading, 44% in maths, and 61% in writing, with higher-standard attainment ranging from 6% in writing to 11% in reading. Average scaled scores were 98 in reading and 97 in maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024 rated overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, a notable step up from its previous Inadequate rating in 2022. The inspection found that leadership, behaviour, personal development and early years provision are now all Good, while the quality of education remains Requires Improvement. This suggests the school is making progress, but outcomes still lag behind local averages.

Greyfriars Academy offers a range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, art studios and a chapel. Sports provision includes tennis, dance, athletics and swimming, while clubs cover drama, book club and choir. The school has a strong SEND framework, with provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 53 applications were received for 19 places, with 17 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.79. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Whitefriars Church of England Primary Academy, just 0.3 km away, which may be a consideration for families prioritising top Ofsted grades. Greyfriars is best suited to families who value a school that is actively improving and offers strong SEND support, but who are comfortable with below-average academic outcomes at present.

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