School Chooser

Brisley Church of England Primary Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England67 pupilsDerehamNorfolk
School Chooser Score
30
Below
similar schools
Likely range 11 to 63, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 39% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2023
Reached the expected level at 1158%England 63%
Attendance95.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families12%Far fewer than most schools
Places38 spare67 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher13.9School workforce census

Brisley Church of England Primary Academy is a sponsored academy in Dereham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 67 pupils and room for 105. About 12 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 30 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 39% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

School Road, Brisley, Dereham, NR20 5LH01362 668350hopefederation.org.ukMrs Belinda Allen headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 May 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

12 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1158%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2023 to 2025
2023: 43%43%20232024: 50%50%20242025: 58%58%2025
Since 2023: +15%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023NorfolkEngland
Pupils tested121814
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%50%43%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%7%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0104.0104.0104.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.0100.0100.0103.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0100.0103.0103.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%89%64%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard58%61%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%61%79%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-5.5

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.

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.

Plenty of spare places67 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
64% full

38 places were empty (36% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 roll67Census January 2026
Places10564% full
Pupils from low-income families12%12% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%6 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan10%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.33 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)13%£13,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls39 / 28
White British pupils88%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), emotional and mental health (2), Other difficulty or disability (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll676678747673
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals12%15%14%11%12%15%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%14%12%12%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans12%8%5%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%4.3%3.3%5.3%4.2%2.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.3%2.4%4.5%3.7%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.0%0.9%0.8%0.5%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.5%5.5%1.5%10.9%11.6%4.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.05.36.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff

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

Teachers4.8full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher13.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£44,177
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher9.22024/25

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate39 per 1,000 people57% lower than the England average
Typical house price£270,000Breckland

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
North Elmham Church of England Primary Academy & NurseryAcademy2.7 miles60Requires improvement 20230Compare
Colkirk Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy3.2 miles55Good 20247Compare
St Mary's Community Primary School, BeetleyCouncil3.5 miles156Requires improvement 20234Compare
Beeston Primary SchoolAcademy4.4 miles91Not inspectedCompare
Litcham SchoolAcademy4.5 miles727Good 202232Compare
All Saints Stibbard Church of England Primary Academy and NurseryAcademy4.6 miles208Requires improvement 20232Compare
Fakenham Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy4.9 miles207Good 202356Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Brisley Church of England Primary Academy with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats39%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 30 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 40 · highest 89100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 30 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 30% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 11 to 63. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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
-0.12
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.12
DfE progress measure; 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.05
2024/25; 63 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 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 Brisley Church of England Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Brisley Church of England Primary Academy scores 30 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 39% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 11 to 63, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

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

Ofsted rated Brisley Church of England Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 17 May 2023.

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

In summer 2025, 58% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

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

67 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 64% full.

Is Brisley Church of England Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 38 places were empty in 2024/25 (36% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

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

Pupils were in school 95.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

The average class had 22.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
School Road, Brisley, Dereham, NR20 5LH
Telephone
01362 668350
Website
www.hopefederation.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Belinda Allen
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Norwich
Multi-academy trust
The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (40 schools)
Local authority
Norfolk
Ward
Upper Wensum
Constituency
Mid Norfolk
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2018 (new provision)
URN
146558 · LAESTAB 9262211 · UKPRN 10081939
Formerly
Weasenham Church of England Primary Academy, Brisley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Where these figures come from