Woodlands Primary Academy

About Woodlands Primary Academy

Woodlands Primary Academy sits within the Norfolk local authority, a large county with 344 primary schools, where it ranks 120th overall. In the more immediate Great Yarmouth area, the school places 16th out of 27 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half locally. For context, the top-performing peers in the same LA include Ditchingham Church of England Primary Academy and Surlingham Primary School, both with perfect ranking scores, and Stalham Academy close behind. Woodlands is a mixed, state-funded primary for ages 3 to 11, with a nursery on site, and currently has 463 pupils against a capacity of 420, meaning it is oversubscribed. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 126 applications for 55 places, with 51 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.29. Headteacher Laura Brett leads a school that has seen significant improvement since its previous Ofsted inspection in 2015, when it was rated Requires Improvement across the board.

In its most recent graded inspection in 2017, Woodlands achieved an overall Good rating, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. The Ofsted breakdown shows Good grades for leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness. Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show 55% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is slightly above the Norfolk LA average of 52%. In reading, 73% met the expected standard and 20% reached the higher standard, while in maths 75% met the expected standard and 13% achieved the higher level. The average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths. Writing saw 67% at the expected standard but no pupils reaching the higher standard. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50% of primaries, at the 68th percentile, and within the East of England region it sits at the 64th percentile.

Woodlands offers a broad set of facilities including a Forest School, library, dining hall, outdoor playground, sensory room, gymnasium, and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, tennis, dance, athletics, and cross country, while extracurricular clubs include art, coding, and chess. The school has a strong SEND framework, with provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. This makes it a practical choice for families with children who have additional needs, particularly given the sensory room and Forest School. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying should be prepared for competition, especially for first-preference places. With its Good Ofsted rating, above-average KS2 results compared to the LA, and a wide range of support and activities, Woodlands suits families looking for a well-resourced, inclusive primary with a clear improvement trajectory.

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