Alderman Peel High School, Wells-next-the-Sea

Ofsted's report card from its 7 July 2026 inspection grades Alderman Peel High School on 6 areas: 1 exceptional and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Exceptional. "Leaders provide a highly ambitious and well-structured APHS School Values programme."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise the development of pupils' key skills and knowledge."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that attendance is a priority for staff and pupils."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Staff understand pupils' needs well."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school supports many pupils who are disadvantaged."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and trustees work with rigour to accurately understand how well the school serves its pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that highly effective teaching is consistently embedded across all subjects and year groups so that all pupils develop secure knowledge and skills and achieve well"; "Leaders should strengthen their use of analysis and monitoring so that disadvantaged pupils consistently achieve well and develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum".

In its own words: "Our students work hard, are proud of their uniform, and show respect and courtesy for others. To support these high standards, we nurture our students in an inclusive and progressive environment to feel safe and secure in their learning. We offer wide-ranging sports, arts, languages, and cultural enrichment programmes."

In 2026, pupils at Alderman Peel High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.

16% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.

That is down from 45.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.31: pupils made below 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 35.1, against 41.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Computer Science.

For September 2026 entry, 95 families put Alderman Peel High School as their first choice and 145 named it as one of their preferences, for 96 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Alderman Peel High School 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.

Of the 119 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 54% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.

3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Wells-next-the-Sea (Wells & Walsingham Railway), about 860 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alderman Peel High School (adjacent), 70 metres away.

In 2024/25, Alderman Peel High School issued 99 suspensions, 16.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.