The Bishop's Church of England Primary Academy

About The Bishop's Church of England Primary Academy

The Bishop's Church of England Primary Academy in Breckland is a state primary for children aged 3 to 11, currently home to 359 pupils against a capacity of 430. That leaves some physical room, but demand tells a different story: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 46 applications for 31 places, with 29 of those coming as first preferences, making it officially oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.48 applicants per place. The pupil body is notably diverse in terms of disadvantage, with 58.5% of children eligible for free school meals — a figure well above the national average and a key demographic marker for the area. The school has a Church of England religious character and is led by headteacher Heather Madsen. It also offers nursery provision, which will be a practical consideration for local families with younger children. The mix of a high FSM cohort and oversubscription suggests a school that serves a specific community need while still attracting strong local interest.

Academically, the picture is more challenging. In the most recent KS2 results from 2023/24, just 14% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 52%. The school ranks 42nd out of 43 primary schools in Breckland on this measure, placing it in the bottom 2% nationally. Individual subject scores show 39% reached the expected standard in reading, 33% in writing and 28% in maths, with average scaled scores of 99 in reading and 97 in maths. No pupils achieved the higher standard in any of the three subjects. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 judged overall effectiveness as 'not judged' due to the timing of the visit, but the graded areas were a mixed bag: behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated Good, while quality of education remains Requires Improvement. Early years provision was also rated Good.

Facilities include playing fields, an ICT suite, an outdoor playground, a forest school, a dining hall and a chapel. Sports on offer range from gymnastics and netball to cross country, rounders, tennis and athletics, while clubs include choir, drama, art, chess and gardening. The school lists a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. Parent View responses from 15 respondents between September 2024 and September 2025 show 73% would recommend the school, though opinions on specific areas like bullying and concern-handling are more divided. This is a school that suits families who value its inclusive, Church of England ethos and its strong pastoral and SEND support, but who are realistic about the academic challenges reflected in the data.

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