Acle Church of England Primary Academy, Norwich

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Acle Church of England Primary Academy on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils arrive punctually."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children settle quickly into a calm and caring environment."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "School and trust leaders have an accurate and detailed overview of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who are disadvantaged and those who face potential additional barriers to their learning."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The personal development programme is appropriately planned."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement varies across subjects."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Although leaders and the trust have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching, the improvements they have begun to make to develop teachers' knowledge and skills are still at an early stage of implementation."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "The school's leadership team has recently been through a period of change."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching of the curriculum is consistently well adapted so that pupils routinely have opportunities to practise, apply and secure their learning, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers use formative assessment accurately and consistently so that pupils' errors and misconceptions are identified and addressed promptly"; "The trust should provide effective challenge and targeted support to strengthen staff's subject knowledge and expertise so that the curriculum is taught consistently well".

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils at Acle Church of England Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 43% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 62% in reading and 62% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 27 families put Acle Church of England Primary Academy as their first choice and 48 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Acle Church of England Primary Academy are Fairhaven Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 93% reading, 67% maths); Lingwood Primary Academy (3 miles, Good, 86% reading, 81% maths); Fleggburgh CofE Primary School (3.2 miles, Good, 57% reading, 57% maths); and Freethorpe Community Primary and Nursery School (3.7 miles, Good, 72% reading, 56% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Acle Church of England Primary Academy.

Acle Church of England Primary Academy is one of 19 schools run by The Diocese of Norwich St Benet's Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

3.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Acle Rail Station, about 870 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is de Carle Smith Road (opposite), 180 metres away.

In 2024/25, Acle Church of England Primary Academy issued 21 suspensions, 11.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.