North Wootton Academy

About North Wootton Academy

North Wootton Academy is a state primary school in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, part of the Norfolk local authority. It sits 12th out of 58 primary schools in the borough on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it comfortably in the top quarter locally. The top-performing peers in the same LA include Ditchingham Church of England Primary Academy and Surlingham Primary School, both of which achieved the maximum ranking score, followed by Stalham Academy on 89. North Wootton’s own score of 66 puts it in a strong position among its immediate competitors. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and serves 317 pupils from ages 4 to 11, with capacity for 341. It is led by headteacher James Grimsby and has no nursery or sixth-form provision. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2025, confirmed that standards were maintained, building on a graded Good rating from 2020.

Academically, North Wootton performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 key stage 2 results, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Norfolk average of 52%. The school also saw 16% of pupils achieve the higher standard in all three subjects. In reading, the average scaled score was 107, with 80% reaching the expected level and 36% hitting the higher standard. Maths followed a similar pattern: an average score of 106, 82% at the expected level and 36% at the higher standard. Writing saw 80% at the expected level and 22% at the higher standard. Ofsted’s graded inspection in 2020 rated overall effectiveness as Good, with leadership and management and personal development both judged Outstanding. Behaviour and attitudes, quality of education, and early years provision were all rated Good. The previous inspection in 2015 had rated the school as Requires Improvement, so the trajectory has been clearly upward.

The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 87 applications for 45 places, with 48 first-preference applications and 45 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.93. Facilities include a library, outdoor playground, dining hall, playing fields and a chapel. Sports on offer are rounders, cross country, netball, football and tennis, while clubs include gardening, film club, science club, drama, choir and chess. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views are very positive: 96% would recommend the school, and 94% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. The school suits families who want a well-regarded local primary with strong academic outcomes, a clear improvement record, and a wide range of extracurricular activities, particularly those who can secure a place in a popular school.

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