Surlingham Primary School

About Surlingham Primary School

Surlingham Primary School is a small state primary in South Norfolk, operating well below its capacity of 120 with just 59 pupils on roll. That spare capacity is not a sign of low demand, however: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 13 applications for just 7 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.86 applicants per place. All 7 first-preference families were offered a spot, suggesting the school is a realistic option for those who prioritise it. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 13.6%, which is broadly in line with the national average for primary schools and indicates a mixed socioeconomic intake. The school is mixed-gender, non-religious, and serves children from ages 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Academically, Surlingham Primary punches well above its weight. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, every single pupil (100%) reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — a figure that towers over the local authority average of 52%. The school also performed strongly at the higher standard, with 17% of pupils achieving that level across all three subjects. Reading and maths average scaled scores were 107 and 108 respectively, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. In the most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in February 2022, the school was rated Good across all categories — a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2015. The school ranks 2nd out of 54 primary schools in South Norfolk, and 39th nationally out of nearly 14,000 primaries, placing it in the top 0.3% of schools in England for combined expected standards.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, art studios, an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports provision covers netball, cricket, athletics, gymnastics, cross country, tennis and rounders, while clubs include chess, gardening, choir and film club. For children with additional needs, the school has identified provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. With its small size and strong academic outcomes, Surlingham Primary is particularly well-suited to families who value high attainment in a close-knit, non-faith setting and who are prepared to prioritise it in the admissions process to secure one of its limited places.

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