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Schools across Norfolk

Local authority · 462 schools across 46 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Norfolk →

Schools in Norfolk (462)

Showing 20 of 462 schools

Total Schools

462

343 primary · 52 secondary

Total Pupils

121,797

86% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

121

9 outstanding · 112 good

Capacity

141,378

19,581 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

112
334
Outstanding: 9
Good: 112
Requires Improvement: 7
Not inspected: 334

Best Schools in Norfolk

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

37.8

GCSE Eng+Maths

33.1%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

82% full
61,943 pupils75,195 capacity

13,252 spare places

Secondary Schools

91% full
49,394 pupils54,003 capacity

4,609 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.2%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

15.3%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

402

2024/25

Absence trend across Norfolk schools

4.8%
18/19
4.7%
20/21
7.7%
21/22
7%
22/23
6.7%
23/24
6.2%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

59%

Plans Issued

1,943

Assessment Requests

2,382

Tribunal Cases

16

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

8%
2019
21%
2020
54%
2021
42%
2023
56%
2024
59%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

11,496 admissions

64

Lodged

(0.6%)

51

Heard

5

Successful

(10%)

Primary (infant classes)

8,396 admissions

27

Lodged

(0.3%)

20

Heard

0

Successful

(0%)

Secondary

11,069 admissions

170

Lodged

(1.5%)

102

Heard

39

Successful

(38%)

Total

22,565 admissions

234

Lodged

(1.0%)

153

Heard

44

Successful

(29%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1460
2019
1258
2020
825
2021
706
2022
538
2023
922
2024
811
2025
495
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Norfolk

Norwich

192 schools

King's Lynn

58 schools

Great Yarmouth

44 schools

Thetford

26 schools

Dereham

18 schools

Diss

12 schools

Fakenham

11 schools

Wymondham

10 schools

Wisbech

9 schools

Attleborough

8 schools

Cromer

8 schools

Swaffham

7 schools

North Walsham

6 schools

Downham Market

6 schools

Bungay

4 schools

Holt

4 schools

Norfolk

3 schools

Sheringham

3 schools

Hunstanton

3 schools

Kings Lynn

2 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Norfolk

How many schools are there in Norfolk?

Norfolk has 462 open schools: 343 state primary, 60 state secondary or all-through, 13 independent, 37 special and 9 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Norfolk are rated Outstanding?

47 schools in Norfolk were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Turnstone House School, Rackheath Primary School, Banks House School, Whitefriars Church of England Primary Academy, Jane Austen College and 42 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 393 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.

Turnstone House SchoolRackheath Primary SchoolBanks House SchoolWhitefriars Church of England Primary AcademyJane Austen College

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Norfolk get the best GCSE results?

Of the 55 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 265 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, Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables