Classpot

The Open Academy

Norwich, NR7 9DLSecondaryAges 11–19MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Mar 2023
Progress 8
-0.46
Below average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
110 1st-choice / 100 places
Ranking
#2,543
of 3,141 nationally

About The Open Academy

The Open Academy is a Church of England secondary school in Norwich, part of the Norfolk local authority, and it ranks 7th out of 8 schools in the city on Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of Norwich’s secondary landscape. Among its local peers, the top performers are Hethersett Academy, Wayland Academy, and Notre Dame High School, Norwich, each with significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The school sits 45th out of 57 same-type schools across the wider Norfolk authority, and the nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Jane Austen College, 2.5 kilometres away. Headteacher Daniel Bagshaw leads a mixed, state-funded secondary with a sixth form, serving 560 pupils against a capacity of 750. The school has a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 39.4 per cent, well above the national average, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 awarded a Good rating across all categories, a notable improvement from its previous Inadequate judgement in 2022.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 19 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressSalhouse Road, Norwich, Norwich, NR7 9DL
HeadteacherDaniel Bagshaw
Local AuthorityNorfolk
Number of Pupils560
Free School Meals (FSM)39.4%
School Capacity560 / 750 (75% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

28 Mar 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 23 May 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

8
Art StudiosLibraryGymnasiumTheatreSwimming PoolAstro TurfChapelSixth Form Centre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

17

Sports

RugbyFootballCross CountryBadmintonSwimmingMartial ArtsDanceCricketBasketballRounders

Clubs & Activities

Duke of EdinburghModel United NationsDramaNewspaperArt ClubBook ClubYoung Enterprise

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

SEND Support

SEN Unit
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionSEN Unit

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

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:00

Source: open-academy.org.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About The Open Academy

The Open Academy has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.