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The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold

The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold

King's Lynn and West Norfolk, IP26 5NBPrimary School·Ages 2-11
Goodby Ofsted

88%

Capacity

107

Pupils

1.8x

Demand

About The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold

If you're a parent looking at The Norman Church of England Primary School in Northwold, the first thing you'll notice is that it's a genuinely popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 21 applications for just 12 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.75. Every one of those 12 first-preference applicants was offered a spot, which suggests that for families who put it top of their list, it works out. The school is small, with 107 pupils against a capacity of 121, so classes are intimate and your child is likely to be known well by staff. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership, and early years provision. That's a clear step up from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019, and a strong signal that things are heading in the right direction under headteacher Melanie Frost.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a solid picture. 60% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is comfortably above the Norfolk local authority average of 52%. In reading, the average scaled score was 106, with 67% reaching the expected standard and 27% achieving the higher standard. Maths followed a similar pattern, with an average score of 104 and 60% at the expected level. Writing was a little lower, with 60% at expected and just 7% reaching the higher standard. Nationally, the school sits in the 56th percentile for its combined RWM expected score, and within the King's Lynn and West Norfolk area it ranks 17th out of 58 primary schools. There's no progress data available, so it's hard to say how much value the school adds for individual pupils, but the raw outcomes are respectable and above the local norm.

The school offers a nursery provision for children from age two, which is a real bonus for working parents looking for a smooth transition into Reception. Facilities include a chapel, music rooms, an ICT suite, and a gymnasium, plus an outdoor playground. Sports on offer cover gymnastics, football, athletics, cricket and cross country, and there are clubs for coding, drama and choir. The SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and autistic spectrum disorder. With its Church of England character, small size, and strong local demand, this school will particularly suit families who want a community-focused, faith-based primary with good academic foundations and a clear recent improvement trajectory.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range2 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressSchool Lane, Thetford, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, IP26 5NB
HeadteacherMelanie Frost
Local AuthorityNorfolk
Number of Pupils107
Free School Meals (FSM)19.8%
School Capacity107 / 121 (88% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

19 Sept 2023
View Report

Overall Effectiveness

Good

Improved
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Additional Provisions

Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 8 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

League Table Position

Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (60%)

7750th of 13,686

Nationally

Top 57%

834th of 1,612

In East of England

Top 52%

17th of 58

In King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Top 50%

Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data

KS2 SATs Results

2023/24

Reading, Writing & Maths Combined

60%

Expected Standard

0%

Higher Standard

ReadingAvg Score: 106
Expected:67%
Higher:27%
Writing
Expected:60%
Higher:7%
MathsAvg Score: 104
Expected:60%
Higher:13%
RWM Expected Standard % over timeDeclining -19%

'22/23

79%

'23/24

60%

Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Facilities

6
Outdoor PlaygroundMusic RoomsDining HallICT SuiteGymnasiumChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

8

Sports

GymnasticsFootballAthleticsCricketCross Country

Clubs & Activities

CodingDramaChoir

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

Admissions

2025/26Oversubscribed
Places

12

Applications

21

Good Demand

Popular school with more applications than places

Applications to places ratio1.8x
0x1x2x3x5x+

12 families put this school as their 1st choice (57% of all applications)

Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.

Class profile

2024/25
Pupils per teacherBelow average
22.2pupils per qualified teacher

Half of schools in England do better than this.

Average class sizeTop 25% of schools
21.4pupils per class

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

2024/25
Free school meals19.8%

Below the national average (25%).

English as additional language0.9%

Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.

Ethnic background

  • White British86.9%
  • Mixed7.5%
  • White (other)4.7%
  • Black0.9%

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

2024/25
Overall attendanceBelow average
93.7%

Half of schools in England do better than this.

Persistent absenteesBottom 25% of schools
23.4%

75% of schools in England do better than this.

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

Fixed-period suspensionsBelow average
2.7 per 100

Half of schools in England do better than this.

A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.

Permanent exclusionsLike most schools
None

Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.

Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.

Catchment & Local Competition

Loading map...
1 mile reference · no real data

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.

1

Total schools

1

Oversubscribed

1

Primary

Low competition area

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 The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold

The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.

Contact Information

01366728241norman.demat.org.uk

School Lane, Thetford

King's Lynn and West Norfolk, IP26 5NB

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School Lane, Thetford

King's Lynn and West Norfolk, IP26 5NB

Journey to School

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Opening Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

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