Northgate High School
93%
Capacity
1,187
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About Northgate High School
Northgate High School is a mixed state secondary in Breckland, Norfolk, and it is a school in high demand. For the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 331 applications for 194 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.71, with 193 of those offers going to first-preference families. The school is currently home to 1,187 pupils against a capacity of 1,280, meaning it is running close to full. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 27%, which is notably higher than the national average and signals a diverse intake in terms of socioeconomic background. The school has a co-headteacher structure, led by Zoe Galley and Dr Duncan Hone, and its religious character is listed as not applicable. With a sixth form on site and a broad age range of 11 to 18, Northgate offers a full secondary journey, though it does not have a nursery provision.
Academically, Northgate’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2013. However, its Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year is -0.32, which places it in the bottom 50 nationally and ranks it 40th out of 57 schools in Norfolk. This is below the local authority average Progress 8 score of -0.02. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 38.9, and 56.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the average points per entry is 28.94, equivalent to a grade C, and the value added score is -0.27, which is rated as below average. Only 4.5% of pupils achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects.
Northgate offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, tennis courts, and a sixth form centre, alongside a strong sports programme covering football, rugby, rowing, and gymnastics. The school also runs clubs such as Debate, Model UN, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Its SEND provisions are extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying will need to be aware of the competition for places. Northgate suits families looking for a large, inclusive secondary with a full sixth form and strong extracurricular breadth, but who are comfortable with academic outcomes that sit below both the local and national averages. Its high FSM rate and broad SEND support suggest a genuinely comprehensive intake.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Cemetery Road, Dereham, Breckland, NR19 2EU |
| Headteacher | Zoe Galley & Dr Duncan Hone |
| Local Authority | Norfolk |
| Number of Pupils | 1,187 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 27.0% |
| School Capacity | 1,187 / 1,280 (93% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
23 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 10 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.32)
2276th of 3,141
Nationally
261st of 350
In East of England
6th of 8
In Breckland
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
34.8
'22/23
31.1
'23/24
28.9
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2333%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 129 pupils).
- FE college47%
- School sixth form (stay)33%
- Employment9%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Not sustained5%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2349%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 153 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
9%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)49%
- Employment29%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Not sustained6%
- Other education4%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology43
- Sociology32
- Mathematics30
- History28
- Law28
- Biology26
- Economics18
- Chemistry17
- Business Studies:Single16
- Media/Film/Tv Studies15
- Geography13
- Religious Studies13
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
20Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed194
331
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
210 families put this school as their 1st choice (63% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: northgate.norfolk.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
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 British87.7%
- White (other)5.1%
- Mixed2.6%
- Asian1.1%
- Black0.4%
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
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given 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.
6
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
4
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Northgate High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Cemetery Road, Dereham
Breckland, NR19 2EU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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