Norwich Road Academy

About Norwich Road Academy

Parents considering Norwich Road Academy will find strong signals of satisfaction from those who know it best. In the most recent Parent View survey, covering responses from September 2024 to September 2025, a very high 90% of the 51 respondents said they would recommend the school to other parents. That confidence is backed up by the school's popularity at the admissions stage: for the 2025/26 intake, Norwich Road Academy was oversubscribed, receiving 66 applications for 33 places — a ratio of two applicants for every spot. Of those, 27 families put it as their first preference, and all 27 were offered a place. Looking at the detail behind the headline numbers, parents felt particularly strongly about their children's happiness and safety, with 88% either agreeing or strongly agreeing that their child is happy, and a similar 88% feeling their child is safe. The school's leadership also scored well on communication, with 92% agreeing the school makes them aware of what their child will learn.

Academically, Norwich Road Academy is a solidly performing primary school within the Breckland local authority. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 59% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits above the Norfolk local authority average of 52%, placing the school 97th out of 344 primary schools of the same type in the county. When you look at individual subjects, the picture is consistent: 71% reached the expected standard in maths, 69% in reading, and 71% in writing. At the higher standard, 20% of pupils achieved a high score in both reading and maths, though just 4% did so in writing. The school's average scaled scores were 103 in both reading and maths, right around the national average of 100. In the most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in October 2024, inspectors judged the school to be Good overall, with personal development rated Outstanding — a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in March 2022.

The school offers a practical, well-equipped environment for its 309 pupils, with facilities including an ICT suite, a gymnasium, a sports hall, and an outdoor playground. Sports provision is strong, with cricket, gymnastics, football, netball, swimming and athletics all on offer, and there are clubs ranging from chess and art to coding, choir and book club. Norwich Road Academy also has nursery provision for children from age three, making it a potential one-stop option for families. The school's SEND support is broad, covering moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, hearing and visual impairments, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 30.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. Given its oversubscribed status and strong parent recommendation rate, this is a school that local families clearly rate highly, particularly those looking for a primary with good academic foundations and a strong focus on personal development.

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