Upwell Academy

About Upwell Academy

Upwell Academy, a state primary in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, holds a Good rating from Ofsted following its November 2021 inspection, with every assessed category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — all judged Good. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined: 42% in the 2023/24 academic year. That places the school below the Norfolk local authority average of 52% and ranks it 41st out of 58 primary schools in its immediate borough. Nationally, it sits in the bottom 11% of schools on this measure. The picture is more mixed when you look at individual subjects: 65% of pupils met expectations in both reading and writing, and 61% in maths, while the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was just 3%.

The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, but the average scaled scores offer some context: pupils achieved 102 in both reading and maths, which is slightly above the national baseline of 100. The higher-standard attainment is modest — 19% in reading, 10% in maths, and 6% in writing — suggesting the school is more focused on securing solid foundations for the majority than pushing a large cohort into the top tier. Ofsted's previous inspection in 2013 also rated the school Good overall, so the rating has been consistent across two inspections. The school has 192 pupils against a capacity of 210, and a quarter of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and may partly explain the attainment gap compared with the LA average.

Upwell Academy offers a broad set of facilities including a Forest School, sensory room, music rooms and a chapel, plus sports such as rounders, cricket, gymnastics, cross country and netball. Clubs include drama, choir and film club. The school lists nine SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, visual and multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and social, emotional and mental health support. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 35 applications for 28 places, with all 28 first-preference applicants offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.25. This suggests a locally popular school that suits families who value a consistent Good rating, a strong SEND offer, and outdoor learning opportunities, even if academic outcomes are below the county average.

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