Acle Academy, Norwich
Acle Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Norwich, part of The Wensum Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 16th-highest of the 22 schools in Norwich with published results, and 1,915th of 3,298 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Acle Academy in detail
Acle Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Acle Academy is a thriving secondary school for 11-16 year olds, located in the heart of the Norfolk Broads and serving 700 children and their families. We strive to create well-rounded, responsible individuals who seize opportunities, discover their passions and love to learn throughout life. Acle Academy has a strong academic reputation."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Acle Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.
37% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.
That is down from 46.9 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.08: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 36.1, against 48.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Geography, Biology and Chemistry.
Getting a place at Acle Academy
For September 2026 entry, 144 families put Acle Academy as their first choice and 240 named it as one of their preferences, for 134 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
The trust
Acle Academy is one of 12 schools run by The Wensum Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 101 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 35% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 10% into work.
Who goes there
1.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 38 pupils (5.4%) received SEN support and 43 (6.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Acle Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 70 places, 61 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Acle Rail Station, about 750 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (adjacent), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Acle Academy issued 103 suspensions, 15 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
The Acle Academy, formerly known as Acle High School, is a secondary school which is located in Acle, Norfolk, England. This is in the centre of the Norfolk Broads.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
28.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.08 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 45.0 to 44.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 41% to 37% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 44.5 | 36.9% |
| Disadvantaged(42) | - | 36.1 | 16.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(80) | - | 48.8 | 47.5% |
| Boys(64) | - | 45.0 | 35.9% |
| Girls(58) | - | 43.8 | 37.9% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(114) | - | 45.5 | 39.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 101 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.15%
Exclusion rate
103
Suspensions
15.04%
Suspension rate
52 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 685 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Latest from Acle Academy
GCSEs 2026: Smiles all round for Acle Academy
20 Aug 2026
Curriculum Enhancement Week - Out of This World
17 Jul 2026
Curriculum Enhancement Week - Shadows of Justice
17 Jul 2026
Curriculum Enhancement Week - Space Explorers
17 Jul 2026
Curriculum Enhancement Week - Wet and Wild
17 Jul 2026
Curriculum Enhancement Week - Land and Sea
16 Jul 2026
From Acle Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Acle Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Acle Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Acle Academy is in Norfolk; for families living there:
Apply to Norfolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Acle Academy
Will you get a place at Acle Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Acle Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Acle Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Acle Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Acle Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Norfolk got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
690 pupils
711 places
21 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Norwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Norwich
Across Norfolk council
Places available
9,559
Applications
8,625
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Norfolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
38
SEN Support
43
EHC Plans
11.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Acle Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 70 places, 61 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
709
Total Pupils
354
Boys
355
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,786
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,747
Per pupil
£4971k
Total funding
£178k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.6%
Overall absence
27.6%
Persistent absence
718
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Acle Academy
Questions parents ask about Acle Academy
What are GCSE results like at Acle Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Acle Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 44.5. 37% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Acle Academy's Ofsted rating?
Acle Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2022, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Acle Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Acle Academy is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Acle Academy?
Acle Academy was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Acle Academy?
Classes at Acle Academy average 25.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Acle Academy?
Acle Academy has around 709 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Acle Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Acle Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 70 places, 61 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Acle Academy?
10.6% of sessions were missed at Acle Academy in 2024/25. 27.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Acle Academy?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Acle Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Acle Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Acle Academy?
Acle Academy is at South Walsham Road, Acle, Norwich, Norfolk, NR13 3ER.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)