Hilgay Riverside Academy

About Hilgay Riverside Academy

Hilgay Riverside Academy’s headline metrics sit notably below the Norfolk local authority average for primary schools. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (KS2) stands at 52%, Hilgay’s figure is just 30%. That gap of 22 percentage points places the school in the bottom half of all primary schools in the county — ranked 232nd out of 344. In the more local King’s Lynn and West Norfolk area, it ranks 49th out of 58 schools, putting it in the bottom 50% of its immediate district. The school’s ranking score of 30 (out of a possible 100) reflects this, and its national percentile of roughly 97% means it sits among the lowest-performing primary schools in the country on this measure. That said, the school is small — just 71 pupils — so these percentages represent a handful of children, and individual results can swing more dramatically than in a larger cohort.

Digging into the detail, the picture is mixed. In reading, 70% of pupils met the expected standard and 20% reached the higher standard, with an average score of 104. In maths, 70% met the expected standard — again in line with the national average — and the average score was 103. Writing is where the dip comes: only 40% of pupils met the expected standard, and none reached the higher standard. No pupil achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it’s hard to say whether pupils are making typical gains from their starting points. Ofsted’s most recent full inspection, in 2022, rated the school Good across all five categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That’s a clear improvement from the previous inspection in 2018, when the school was judged Requires Improvement overall.

Hilgay is a Church of England primary in a rural part of Norfolk, with a capacity of 98 but currently only 71 pupils on roll. It is oversubscribed for 2025/26: 8 first-preference applications were made for 8 places, with 16 total applications, giving a ratio of 2:1. The school offers a Forest School, a chapel, music rooms, a sports hall and an ICT suite, plus clubs including coding, eco club, chess, book club and choir. Sports on offer include athletics, netball, football, gymnastics and tennis. SEND provision covers moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication. With a third of pupils (33.8%) eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. This is a small, improving village school that suits families who value a church foundation, a broad range of clubs and outdoor learning, but whose academic results — particularly in writing — are below the local average.

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