Acorn Park School, Norwich
Acorn Park School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Norwich.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Acorn Park School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Acorn Park School are Chapel Green School (2.1 miles, Good); Aurora Eccles School (3 miles); and Aurora White House School (3 miles, Good).
Chapel Green SchoolAurora Eccles SchoolAurora White House School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Acorn Park School has an education, health and care plan (175 of 175 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Eccles Road Rail Station, about 3.3 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often burglary and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. Ofsted last inspected this school in 3 December 2024, before the latest ISI inspection.
Non-Routine Inspection
20 October 2025
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Acorn Park specialises in helping pupils with autism who have previously struggled in education. Staff combine expert teaching with genuine kindness to help every child build confidence and develop real independence skills. The school goes far beyond the classroom with an exciting range of activities, from tending herbs in the polytunnel to work experience placements, ensuring pupils are well-prepared for their lives after school.
Key Strengths
- Passionate and skilled staff help pupils turn around negative views of education and develop high aspirations
- Expertly tailored curriculum with rigorous staff training that helps pupils achieve well, including GCSEs where appropriate
- Comprehensive enrichment programme and Wednesday 'Acorn Park Activities' that help pupils discover new interests and talents
- Strong focus on life skills including personal hygiene, communication, independence and work experience placements in the sixth form
- Thorough approach to breaking down attendance barriers so pupils attend school frequently and behave exceptionally well
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with meticulous scrutiny of records enabling the proprietor to offer support and challenge to leaders.
Extracurricular Activities
Acorn Park Activities (painting, coding, crochet, rugby), polytunnel gardening, Shakespeare birthplace visits, work experience placements, school cafe barista training, library reading
Acorn Park School is an outstanding special school for pupils aged 4-19 with autism diagnoses that transforms lives by helping pupils develop confidence, independence, and a love of learning. The school has improved from its previous 'Good' rating to 'Outstanding' across all areas.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Latest from Acorn Park School
Weekly Newsletter 02.10.26
5 Oct 2026
Weekly Newsletter 28.09.26
28 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 18.09.26
21 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 11.09.26
14 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 04.09.26
7 Sep 2026
Weekly Newsletter 10.07.26
13 Jul 2026
From Acorn Park School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Acorn Park School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
175 pupils
180 places
5 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
175
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Acorn Park School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
175
Total Pupils
143
Boys
32
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Acorn Park School
Questions parents ask about Acorn Park School
What are GCSE results like at Acorn Park School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Acorn Park School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was Acorn Park School last inspected?
Acorn Park School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in October 2025.
How many pupils go to Acorn Park School?
Acorn Park School has around 175 pupils on roll.
Does Acorn Park School have specialist SEN provision?
Acorn Park School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Acorn Park School?
Acorn Park School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Acorn Park School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Acorn Park School?
Acorn Park School is at Andrews Furlong, Mill Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR16 2HU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)