Downham Market Academy
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Downham Market Academy is a sponsored academy in Downham Market for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,329 pupils and room for 1,567. About 27 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 42 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Bexwell Road, Downham Market, PE38 9LL01366 389100dma.tela.org.ukDr Natalie Paine headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 April 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
201 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018† | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 201 | 197 | 174 | 179 | 194 | 193 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 43.8 | 43.3 | 40.5 | 46.9 | 43.9 | 41.9 | 45.3 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.06 | -0.23 | -0.13 | -0.15 | -0.26 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 35% | 43% | 30% | 45% | 36% | 29% | 45% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 59% | 63% | 59% | 71% | 63% | 56% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.87 | 3.90 | 3.56 | 3.86 | 3.81 | 3.41 | 4.05 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 24% | 43% | 38% | 26% | 44% | 24% | 43% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 34.6 | 35.0 | 38.2 | 39.6 | 33.7 | 34.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 46.6 | 46.5 | 41.5 | 49.1 | 46.4 | 43.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.5 | 28.9 | 36.5 | 23.9 | 22.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 63.3 | 61.8 | 63.0 | 57.9 | 56.2 | – | – |
† These results are for Downham Market Academy, the school this one replaced in November 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: English Literature (36% here, 58% across England), Design & Technology (29% here, 50% across England), History (32% here, 52% across England), English Language (39% here, 54% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 201 | 14% | 47% | 68% | 53% | 1,941 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 201 | 5% | 36% | 60% | 58% | 2,897 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 201 | 4% | 39% | 62% | 54% | 2,640 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 201 | 11% | 37% | 61% | 36% | 1,285 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 134 | 16% | 43% | 58% | 51% | 1,871 of 3,116 |
| History | 44 | 14% | 32% | 41% | 52% | 2,705 of 3,126 |
| French | 34 | 68% | 88% | 94% | 60% | 213 of 1,974 |
| Art and Design | 30 | 43% | 97% | 100% | 58% | 80 of 2,818 |
| Spanish | 29 | 17% | 59% | 79% | 54% | 862 of 1,941 |
| Drama | 23 | 13% | 61% | 78% | 60% | 462 of 844 |
| Design & Technology | 17 | 18% | 29% | 65% | 50% | – |
| Physical Education | 16 | 25% | 75% | 94% | 56% | – |
| Film Studies | 14 | 21% | 29% | 64% | 52% | – |
| Ancient History | 12 | 8% | 33% | 50% | 55% | – |
| Computer Science | 10 | 40% | 60% | 60% | 56% | – |
| Media / Film / TV | 9 | 22% | 89% | 89% | 55% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 8 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
| Music | 7 | 14% | 29% | 57% | 61% | – |
| Religious Studies | 6 | 17% | 83% | 83% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
56 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 56 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 112 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 32.47 | 35.43 | 26.39 | 31.38 | 28.80 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | B- | C- | C | C |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 33.75 | 35.67 | 25.71 | 33.11 | 26.44 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 4% | 25% | 4% | 10% | 4% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.09 | +0.23 | – | – | +0.05 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 30.95 | 31.08 | 26.05 | 33.68 | – |
| T levels: points per entry | 37.92 | – | – | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 97% | 84% | 97% | 91% | 92% |
A level subjects
8 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
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. 1 of the 3 gaps is 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 GCSE, 2025
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.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 19% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (88), Specific learning difficulty (67), Autistic spectrum disorder (41), Moderate learning difficulty (34), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (12), language and communications needs (11).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,329 | 1,333 | 1,291 | 1,209 | 1,119 | 1,050 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 26% | 25% | 25% | 24% | 21% | 18% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 6% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 15% | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 9.0% | 9.4% | 8.7% | 9.3% | 5.8% | 7.3% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 6.0% | 3.6% | 4.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.0% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 3.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 24.3% | 27.0% | 26.5% | 29.0% | 15.7% | 20.3% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 21.5 | 9.9 | 13.2 | 8.4 | 10.4 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 174 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 78%, compared with 94% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 90% | 93% | 92% | 96% |
| Education | 78% | 81% | 82% | 89% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 5% | 4% | 6% |
| Work | 6% | 8% | 7% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 6% | 5% | 6% | 4% |
After sixth form
Where the 46 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 89% | 94% | 92% | – |
| Education | 46% | 49% | 48% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 6% | 2% | 4% |
| Work | 35% | 38% | 42% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 11% | 4% | 8% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
No other schools of this phase within 8 km.
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Downham Market Academy with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 42 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 42% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 32 to 52. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.09 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 201 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 4.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.04 | DfE progress measure; 201 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | -0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.01 | 2024/25; 1,273 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.01 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 201 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.01 | 174 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Downham Market Academy a good school?
It is about average. Downham Market Academy scores 42 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 32 to 52, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Downham Market Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Downham Market Academy good at its last full inspection on 26 April 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Downham Market Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 35% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 43.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Downham Market Academy have?
1,329 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,567 places, so it is 85% full.
Is Downham Market Academy oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Downham Market Academy?
Pupils were in school 91.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Downham Market Academy?
The average class had 19.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 11% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Downham Market Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 8 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Bexwell Road, Downham Market, PE38 9LL
- Telephone
- 01366 389100
- Website
- dma.tela.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Dr Natalie Paine
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Eastern Learning Alliance (8 schools)
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Ward
- East Downham
- Constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 November 2017 (fresh start)
- URN
- 145196 · LAESTAB 9264029 · UKPRN 10065903
- Formerly
- Downham Market Academy
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.