White Woman Lane Junior School
similar schools
White Woman Lane Junior School is a council school in Norwich for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 352 pupils and room for 360. About 19 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 86 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.
White Woman Lane, Sprowston, Norwich, NR6 7JA01603 419203whitewomanlane.norfolk.sch.ukMrs Ashley Best-White headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 15 May 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
90 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 | 90 | 87 | 89 | 87 | 80 | 56 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 71% | 64% | 62% | 61% | 65% | 64% | 56% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 7% | 3% | 9% | 6% | 7% | 5% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 106.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 105.0 | 104.6 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 106.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 | 103.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 107.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 103.2 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 77% | 77% | 73% | 67% | 68% | 79% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 83% | 70% | 76% | 78% | 79% | 73% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 84% | 76% | 75% | 89% | 90% | 86% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -0.3 | -1.2 | -1.7 | +1.8 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.1 | -0.5 | +0.2 | +0.1 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 47% | 33% | 38% | 37% | 47% | 60% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 76% | 71% | 69% | 68% | 69% | 65% | – | – |
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
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, with 8 more pupils than it has places for. 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 stayed about the same 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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (16), Moderate learning difficulty (16), emotional and mental health (7), Specific learning difficulty (5), Hearing impairment (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 352 | 350 | 340 | 350 | 346 | 339 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 19% | 18% | 18% | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 13% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 11% | 10% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 15% | 14% | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% 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 | 4.3% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.1% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 4.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 8.3% | 10.0% | 8.5% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 6.3% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 2.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodge Lane Infant School | Academy | 580 m | 175 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Old Catton CofE VC Junior School | Church of England | 670 m | 187 | Good 2023 | 27 | Compare |
| Garrick Green Infant School | Academy | 880 m | 116 | No overall grade 2024 | 31 | Compare |
| Sprowston Infant School | Council | 0.7 miles | 111 | Good 2020 | 31 | Compare |
| Sprowston Junior School | Council | 0.7 miles | 175 | Good 2023 | 9 | Compare |
| Sparhawk Infant School & Nursery | Council | 1.0 miles | 188 | Outstanding 2019 | 97 | Compare |
| Cecil Gowing Infant School | Council | 1.2 miles | 173 | Good 2023 | 30 | Compare |
| Falcon Junior School | Council | 1.3 miles | 417 | Good 2022 | 15 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares White Woman Lane Junior School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 86 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 86% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 76 to 92. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | in line | +0.03 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 90 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well above | +0.43 | Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.03 | DfE progress measure; 90 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.06 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.06 | 2024/25; 362 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.01 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 90 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 White Woman Lane Junior School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. White Woman Lane Junior School scores 86 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 76 to 92, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is White Woman Lane Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated White Woman Lane Junior School outstanding at its last full inspection on 15 May 2024.
How good are White Woman Lane Junior School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 71% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does White Woman Lane Junior School have?
352 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 360 places, so it is 98% full.
Is White Woman Lane Junior School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 8 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at White Woman Lane Junior School?
Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at White Woman Lane Junior School?
The average class had 29.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 17% of classes 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
- White Woman Lane, Sprowston, Norwich, NR6 7JA
- Telephone
- 01603 419203
- Website
- www.whitewomanlane.norfolk.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Ashley Best-White
- Type of school
- Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 7-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Ward
- Old Catton and Sprowston West
- Constituency
- Norwich North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 120914 · LAESTAB 9262267 · UKPRN 10072966
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.