School Chooser

Holly Meadows School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedCouncil123 pupilsKing's LynnNorfolk
School Chooser Score
39
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 16 to 69, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 19% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1150%England 63%
Attendance95.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
Places52 spare123 pupils, 175 places
Pupils per teacher16.5School workforce census

Holly Meadows School is a council school in King's Lynn for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 123 pupils and room for 175. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 39 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 19% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Vong Lane, Pott Row, King's Lynn, PE32 1BW01485 600241hollymeadows.norfolk.sch.ukMrs Jennie Wildsmith-Garton headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 4 June 2024, 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1150%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 54%54%20182019: 62%62%20192023: 47%47%20232024: 48%48%20242025: 50%50%2025
Since 2017: +0%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017NorfolkEngland
Pupils tested222115212426
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths50%48%47%62%54%50%56%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%10%0%10%4%12%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0104.0104.0105.0103.0103.0104.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0103.0103.0105.0102.0101.0103.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0102.0102.0102.0101.0104.0103.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard50%67%73%67%67%69%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard68%67%80%81%58%58%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)68%71%60%86%75%81%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.7-1.2-1.5-1.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.5-1.7-1.7-3.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged86%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged37%

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.

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. None of the 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
36%64%
Gap 28 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.

A few spare places133 pupils for 147 places, 2024/25
91% full

About 14 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% 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 roll123Census January 2026
Places17570% full
Pupils from low-income families7%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%28 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan11%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.65 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)7%£12,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls56 / 67
White British pupils98%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (13), language and communications needs (10), emotional and mental health (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll123133138135140145
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%11%12%13%9%10%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%2%2%2%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support27%24%27%20%19%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%3%2%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school3.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils8.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.1%5.4%5.9%6.4%2.9%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.9%4.6%5.7%2.6%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.5%1.3%0.7%0.3%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence3.4%10.7%14.6%15.8%6.6%5.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate8.37.33.72.10.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.5full-time equivalent, 11 people
Pupils per teacher16.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers82%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,104
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,289England £7,738. Total £970k
Income per pupil£7,425England £7,697. Total £988k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,034England £3,480
Money in reserve0%Very little put by: £142, £1 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£18kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,289spent 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 m1612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate36 per 1,000 people60% lower than the England average
Typical house price£267,500King's Lynn and West Norfolk

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
Ashwicken Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England1.9 miles104Report card 202638Compare
St Matthew's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy2.0 milesNot inspectedCompare
Flitcham Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy3.1 miles42Good 202347Compare
Sandringham and West Newton Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy3.6 miles63Good 202355Compare
Reffley AcademyAcademy3.8 miles322Good 202256Compare
Fairstead Community Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil4.0 miles429No overall grade 202510Compare
North Wootton AcademyAcademy4.1 miles320Good 202081Compare
South Wootton Infant SchoolCouncil4.2 miles156Report card 20266Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Holly Meadows School 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.

Beats19%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 39 is 31 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 70 · highest 94100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 39 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 39% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 16 to 69. 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%in line
-0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 22 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.09
DfE progress measure; 22 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.11
2024/25; 117 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.12
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 22 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 Holly Meadows School a good school?

It is about average. Holly Meadows School scores 39 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 19% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 16 to 69, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Holly Meadows School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Holly Meadows School good at its last full inspection on 4 June 2024.

How good are Holly Meadows School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 50% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Holly Meadows School have?

123 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 175 places, so it is 70% full.

Is Holly Meadows School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 14 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Holly Meadows School?

Pupils were in school 95.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 3% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Holly Meadows School?

The average class had 24.6 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
Vong Lane, Pott Row, King's Lynn, PE32 1BW
Telephone
01485 600241
Website
www.hollymeadows.norfolk.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jennie Wildsmith-Garton
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Norfolk
Ward
Gayton & Grimston
Constituency
North West Norfolk
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2011 (result of amalgamation)
URN
136536 · LAESTAB 9263433 · UKPRN 10079923
Formerly
Church Hill First School, Pott Row First School, Grimston Junior School

Where these figures come from