Lionwood Junior School
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Lionwood Junior School is a converter academy in Norwich for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 239 pupils and room for 360. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 11 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Wolfe Road, Norwich, NR1 4HT01603 433014lionwoodjunior.co.ukMrs Selene Sawyer headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 February 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 31 January 2020 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
58 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017† | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 58 | 74 | 75 | 70 | 63 | 56 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 45% | 55% | 48% | 51% | 65% | 64% | 56% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 2% | 1% | 4% | 9% | 2% | 7% | 5% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 102.0 | 102.0 | 103.0 | 101.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 104.6 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 101.0 | 101.0 | 101.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 103.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 108.0 | 106.0 | 103.2 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 62% | 68% | 65% | 66% | 78% | 75% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 57% | 64% | 64% | 64% | 75% | 79% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 67% | 69% | 72% | 70% | 76% | 82% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -1.7 | -1.4 | -2.2 | +1.2 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -1.9 | -1.9 | -2.2 | -1.3 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 30% | 33% | 32% | 31% | 48% | 65% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 54% | 73% | 65% | 66% | 76% | 64% | – | – |
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 Lionwood Junior School, the school this one replaced in April 2017. 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 4 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
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.
The school is full. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% since 2021/22.
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.
Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 8 pupils, for moderate learning difficulties.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Norfolk with moderate learning difficulties provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (50), emotional and mental health (24), language and communications needs (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Specific learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 239 | 244 | 260 | 277 | 274 | 289 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 36% | 38% | 42% | 46% | 42% | 37% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 24% | 27% | 24% | 22% | 22% | 25% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 30% | 29% | 24% | 21% | 23% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.4% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 7.1% | 4.1% | 4.2% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.1% | 4.9% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 2.8% | 3.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.3% | 2.4% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 19.1% | 20.6% | 27.0% | 25.8% | 11.0% | 10.3% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 21.7 | 22.7 | 9.4 | 6.6 | 4.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025.
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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lionwood Infant and Nursery School | Academy | 560 m | 212 | No overall grade 2025 | 94 | Compare |
| Charles Darwin Primary School | Free school | 0.7 miles | 465 | Not inspected | 87 | Compare |
| Mousehold Infant & Nursery School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 224 | No overall grade 2024 | 95 | Compare |
| Heartsease Primary Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 398 | Good 2023 | 12 | Compare |
| George White Junior School | Academy | 0.8 miles | 218 | Good 2019 | 18 | Compare |
| St William's Primary School | Council | 0.9 miles | 407 | Not inspected | 19 | Compare |
| Magdalen Gates Primary School | Council | 0.9 miles | 194 | No overall grade 2025 | 38 | Compare |
| The Free School Norwich | Free school | 1.2 miles | 180 | No overall grade 2025 | 44 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Lionwood Junior School 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.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Lionwood Junior School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George White Junior School | Academy | 0.8 miles | 218 | Good 2019 | 18 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 11 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 11% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 20. 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 | 25% | below | -0.21 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 58 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.14 | DfE progress measure; 58 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.07 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.11 | 2024/25; 257 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.11 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 58 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 Lionwood Junior School a good school?
The figures are weak. Lionwood Junior School scores 11 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 20, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Lionwood Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Lionwood Junior School good at its last full inspection on 22 February 2023.
How good are Lionwood Junior School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 45% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Lionwood Junior School have?
239 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 360 places, so it is 66% full.
Is Lionwood Junior School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Lionwood Junior School?
Pupils were in school 92.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 19% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Lionwood Junior School?
The average class had 28.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 13% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Lionwood Junior School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has sen unit for moderate learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Wolfe Road, Norwich, NR1 4HT
- Telephone
- 01603 433014
- Website
- www.lionwoodjunior.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Selene Sawyer
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 7-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Clarion Corvus Trust (13 schools)
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Ward
- Crome
- Constituency
- Norwich North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2017 (academy converter)
- URN
- 144146 · LAESTAB 9262318 · UKPRN 10063459
- Formerly
- Lionwood Junior School
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.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- 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.
- 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.