School Chooser

Acle Church of England Primary Academy

Primary · ages 5-11MixedAcademyChurch of England197 pupilsNorwichNorfolk
School Chooser Score
2
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 1 to 5
Out of 100. Better than 2% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedNeeds attention teachingOfsted report card, June 2026
Reached the expected level at 1132%England 63%
Attendance94.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families26%About the same as most schools in England
Places13 spare197 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher24.6School workforce census

Acle Church of England Primary Academy is a converter academy in Norwich for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 197 pupils and room for 210. About 26 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 2 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Fletcher Way, Acle, Norwich, NR13 3RQ01493 750322acleprimary.norfolk.sch.ukMiss Laura Richardson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 2 June 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Needs attention
Achievement
Needs attention
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Needs attention
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

28 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1132%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level11%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 53%53%20172018: 43%43%20182019: 73%73%20192023: 52%52%20232024: 41%41%20242025: 32%32%2025
Since 2017: -21%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023†2019†2018†2017†NorfolkEngland
Pupils tested282927263017
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths32%41%52%73%43%53%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths11%0%4%23%13%12%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0103.0104.0105.0102.0102.0104.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0103.0103.0105.0102.0102.0103.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0101.0103.0105.0101.0102.0103.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard57%62%63%77%53%53%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard43%62%56%77%60%65%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)68%59%67%85%70%76%
Reading progressReading progress score-4.0-0.8-3.9-1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.7-1.1-2.1-1.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged23%50%20%29%43%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged40%37%71%89%43%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Acle St Edmund Voluntary Controlled Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
23%40%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
14%50%
Gap 36 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
8%11%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places188 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
90% full

About 22 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Norfolk council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll197Census January 2026
Places21094% full
Pupils from low-income families26%26% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%33 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.17 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils29%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)24%£72,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls87 / 110
White British pupils91%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (17), language and communications needs (9), Specific learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Hearing impairment (2), Other difficulty or disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024
Pupils on roll197185185
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals26%29%29%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils11.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.9%6.3%6.8%5.8%3.1%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%4.8%5.0%4.1%2.3%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.5%1.8%1.7%0.8%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.2%17.6%18.2%14.9%6.7%7.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate11.413.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00

† These attendance figures are for Acle St Edmund Voluntary Controlled Primary School, the school this one replaced in September 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers8.0full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher24.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,331
Teachers who left in the year27%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.52024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,578England £7,128. Total £1.2m
Income per pupil£6,919England £7,587. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,243England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £85k, £460 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£63kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,578spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m6012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate38 per 1,000 people58% lower than the England average
Typical house price£304,500Broadland

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England2.6 miles103No overall grade 202442Compare
Lingwood Primary AcademyAcademy3.0 miles208Good 202462Compare
Fleggburgh CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles53Good 202384Compare
Freethorpe Community Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil3.7 miles176No overall grade 202434Compare
Filby Primary SchoolAcademy4.1 miles122Good 202361Compare
Blofield Primary SchoolCouncil4.3 miles220Good 202460Compare
Rollesby Primary SchoolFoundation4.5 miles109Good 202440Compare
Hemblington Primary SchoolAcademy4.7 miles176Good 202429Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Acle Church of England Primary Academy with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats2%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 2 is 33 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 35 · highest 89100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 2 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 2% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 1 to 5. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.23
2025 and 2024 results; 28 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.45
Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.37
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 28 pupils
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.05
2024/25; 174 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.18
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 28 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Acle Church of England Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Acle Church of England Primary Academy scores 2 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 2% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 5, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Acle Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 2 June 2026 it rated teaching as needs attention, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as needs attention.

How good are Acle Church of England Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 32% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 11% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Acle Church of England Primary Academy have?

197 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 94% full.

Is Acle Church of England Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 22 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Acle Church of England Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Acle Church of England Primary Academy?

The average class had 28.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 29% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Fletcher Way, Acle, Norwich, NR13 3RQ
Telephone
01493 750322
Website
www.acleprimary.norfolk.sch.uk
Headteacher
Miss Laura Richardson
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Norwich
Multi-academy trust
The Diocese of Norwich St Benet's Multi-Academy Trust (19 schools)
Local authority
Norfolk
Ward
Acle
Constituency
Broadland and Fakenham
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2023 (academy converter)
URN
149877 · LAESTAB 9263000 · UKPRN 10092605
Formerly
Acle St Edmund Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Where these figures come from