Best Schools in Norfolk

How many schools are there in Norfolk?

Norfolk has 427 open schools: 321 state primary, 58 state secondary or all-through, 10 independent, 31 special and 7 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Norfolk are rated Outstanding?

46 schools in Norfolk were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Rackheath Primary School, Whitefriars Church of England Primary Academy, Jane Austen College, Little Melton Primary School, Chapel Break Infant School and 41 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 365 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Rackheath Primary SchoolWhitefriars Church of England Primary AcademyJane Austen CollegeLittle Melton Primary SchoolChapel Break Infant School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Norfolk get the best GCSE results?

Of the 53 schools in Norfolk with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Notre Dame High School, Norwich, with an Attainment 8 score of 57 and 64% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Wymondham College, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.7 and 67% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Hethersett Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 55.5 and 71% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Notre Dame High School, NorwichWymondham CollegeHethersett Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Norfolk have the best SATs results?

Of the 248 primary schools in Norfolk with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Saxlingham Nethergate CofE VC Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Thompson Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); and Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy (96% in reading, 100% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Saxlingham Nethergate CofE VC Primary SchoolThompson Primary SchoolThomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Norfolk?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Norfolk selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Norfolk have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Norfolk have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Norfolk?

Apply to your council - Norfolk or Suffolk, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.