Best Schools in Thetford

How many schools are there in Thetford?

Thetford has 27 open schools: 20 state primary, 4 state secondary or all-through and 3 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Thetford are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Thetford was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Elveden Church of England Primary Academy. Counting Good as well, 79% of the 24 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.

Elveden Church of England Primary Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Thetford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Thetford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Wayland Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.2 and 61% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Thetford Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 44.9 and 47% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Iceni Secondary Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 37.3 and 26% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Wayland AcademyThe Thetford AcademyIceni Secondary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Thetford have the best SATs results?

Of the 17 primary schools in Thetford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Thompson Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy (96% in reading, 100% in maths); and The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold (92% in reading, 92% 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.

Thompson Primary SchoolThomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery AcademyThe Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Thetford?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Thetford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Thetford 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 Thetford?

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.