Redcastle Family School

About Redcastle Family School

Redcastle Family School sits in the Norfolk local authority area of Breckland, and among the 43 primary schools in the district it ranks 4th by its Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard — a strong showing that places it in the top 10 per cent locally. The three schools that outrank it are Ditchingham Church of England Primary Academy, Surlingham Primary School and Stalham Academy, each of which scored the maximum ranking score of 100 on the same metric. Redcastle’s own ranking score of 71 puts it comfortably ahead of the vast majority of Breckland primaries, and it also performs well regionally, sitting in the top quarter of all East of England primary schools. The school is a state-funded mixed primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site, and is led by headteacher James Julian. It is not affiliated with any religious character, and its most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, rated it Good across all five categories.

Academically, Redcastle’s Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show that 71 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well above the Norfolk local authority average of 52 per cent. In reading, 76 per cent met the expected standard and 18 per cent reached the higher standard; in writing, 76 per cent met the expected standard and 12 per cent reached the higher standard; and in maths, 82 per cent met the expected standard and 15 per cent reached the higher standard. The average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 104 in maths. The school’s Ofsted report noted that behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all Good, with the same rating for early years provision. The previous inspection in March 2014 also rated the school Good overall, so it has held a consistent Good rating across both its recent inspections. No progress scores are available for reading, writing or maths.

Redcastle is a popular school, and for the 2025/26 intake it was oversubscribed: 78 applications were received for 29 places, a ratio of 2.69 applicants per place, and all 29 first-preference offers were taken up from 41 first-preference applications. The school’s facilities include a sports hall, gymnasium, outdoor playground, forest school, art studios and a chapel, and it offers a range of sports including netball, dance, cross country, tennis, athletics, cricket and gymnastics. Clubs include film club, drama, choir and book club. The school has a dedicated SEN unit and provides support for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, and hearing and visual impairments. With 36.5 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, Redcastle serves a community with above-average disadvantage, and its strong outcomes suggest it is a solid choice for families in the area who want a well-regarded local primary.

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