School Chooser

The Pinetree School

Pupil referral unit / alternative provision · ages 11-16MixedFree schools alternative provision37 pupilsThetfordNorfolk
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2023
Pupils from low-income families73%Far more than most schools
Places3 spare37 pupils, 40 places
Pupils per teacher4.6School workforce census
Pupils on roll37Census January 2026

The Pinetree School is a free schools alternative provision in Thetford for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 37 pupils and room for 40. About 73 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Staniforth Road, Thetford, IP24 3LH01842 752756pinetreeschool.org.ukMrs Katrina Warren headteacher designateAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 26 September 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”
Requires improvement
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

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 the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll37Census January 2026
Places4092% full
Pupils from low-income families73%73% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%37 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)70%£28,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls26 / 11
White British pupils97%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (35), Moderate learning difficulty (1), language and communications needs (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll373934363238
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals73%67%74%72%69%58%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%6%9%24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%100%94%91%76%

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 7 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training86%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training86%38%30%
Education43%25%20%
Apprenticeship0%0%10%
Work43%13%0%
Not in education, work or training0%25%30%

Staff and money

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

Teachers8.0full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher4.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers88%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,870
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.92024/25

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£24,590England £7,128. Total £959k
Income per pupil£25,333England £7,587. Total £988k
Spent on teachers per pupil£13,128England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £54k, £1,384 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£29kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£24,590spent 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 m25212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate99 per 1,000 people9% higher 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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Queensway Infant AcademyAcademy220 m101Report card 20265Compare
Queensway Junior AcademyAcademy300 m141Report card 20266Compare
Redcastle Family SchoolCouncil800 m277Good 202257Compare
Thetford Grammar SchoolIndependent (grammar)0.6 miles180Not inspectedCompare
The Damara SchoolIndependent (grammar)0.7 miles32Not inspectedCompare
Norwich Road AcademyAcademy0.9 miles317No overall grade 202429Compare
The Bishop's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy0.9 miles330No overall grade 20253Compare
Compass Community School Eld ParkIndependent1.0 miles23Not inspectedCompare

Questions parents ask

Is The Pinetree School a good school?

The Pinetree School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in September 2023.

What is The Pinetree School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Pinetree School good at its last full inspection on 26 September 2023.

How many pupils does The Pinetree School have?

37 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 40 places, so it is 93% full.

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

Contact and details

Address
Staniforth Road, Thetford, IP24 3LH
Telephone
01842 752756
Website
www.pinetreeschool.org.uk
Headteacher Designate
Mrs Katrina Warren
Type of school
Free schools alternative provision (Free schools alternative provision, free schools)
Phase
Pupil referral unit / alternative provision, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Unity Education Trust (15 schools)
Local authority
Norfolk
Ward
Thetford Burrell
Constituency
South West Norfolk
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2013 (new provision)
URN
139665 · LAESTAB 9261112 · UKPRN 10041668

Where these figures come from