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Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School, Norwich

Outstanding
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 3–7

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Norwich, part of The Wensum Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. It was 84% full in 2025.

Ofsted
Outstanding (2015)
Demand
Every first choice offered
Attendance
In line with England
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

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.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School in detail

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School in its own words

In its own words: "We are an ' Outstanding' , learning for all school which supports children, families and communities in Norwich. We recognise that every child and every family is different. That is why we invest time in building relationships with each and every child ."

From the headteacher's welcome: "At Arden Grove we offer a curriculum rich in wonder and memorable first hand experiences, whilst encouraging children to build resilience and a love of learning. We recognise the crucial role that early years education has to play in providing firm foundations upon which the rest of a child's education is successfully based."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.

Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)

Source: The school's own website

Getting a place at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School

For September 2026 entry, 55 families put Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 110 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Admissions history and your chances at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School

Compared with nearby schools

The nearest other state primary schools to Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School are Firside Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 89% maths); Kinsale Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 74% reading, 73% maths); Kinsale Infant School (0.7 miles); and Heather Avenue Infant School (1 mile, Outstanding).

Firside Junior SchoolKinsale Junior SchoolKinsale Infant SchoolHeather Avenue Infant School

The trust

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is one of 12 schools run by The Wensum Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

All 12 schools in The Wensum Trust

What parents say

64 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (86%).

Who goes there

4.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 16 pupils (9.2%) received SEN support and 7 (4%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 16 places, 9 pupils on roll.

Staffing

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is Norwich Rail Station, about 3.7 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is medical centre (opposite), 190 metres away.

Suspensions and exclusions

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics

Location

Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Sarah Waterfield
Pupils:173
LA:Norfolk
Phone:01603404553
Address:Arden Grove, Hellesdon, Norwich, NR6 6QA
Trust:THE WENSUM TRUST (12 schools)
Status:open
Opened:1 June 2013

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 2 years ago

This judgement is from March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.

-

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Early Years

Inspected 14 January 2025View full report
URN:139736
UKPRN:10041832
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Norwich North
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.

What This School Does Well

Arden Grove places high value on knowing every pupil well and adapting learning to help all children succeed. The school uses engaging drama activities and practical learning opportunities to develop strong speaking skills and confidence. Children with additional needs receive excellent support and are fully included, while all pupils develop resilience and impressive academic skills in reading, writing and mathematics.

Key Strengths

  • Meticulously designed curriculum with strong teaching in reading, writing and mathematics - pupils make excellent progress
  • Outstanding support for pupils with SEND, who are fully included in all aspects of school life
  • Systematic programme developing early writing skills through playful activities in early years
  • Strong use of drama, talking activities and local trips to enhance learning and build community links
  • Teaching of emotional regulation using child-friendly language helps pupils behave extremely well

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Extracurricular Activities

Before-school club, local visits to airport and farms, drama activities, debates

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is an outstanding school where pupils thrive and develop excellent learning skills. Most pupils leave with excellent reading, writing and mathematical skills, well prepared for junior school.

At a Glance

4.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

Resourced provision: SEMH

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

64 responses
Would recommend97%
Child is happy98%
Child does well98%
High expectations86%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved98%
Bullying dealt with (of parents with a view)100%
Kept informed98%
Handles concerns (of parents who raised one)100%
Wider development94%

Source: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

28.7

Avg class size

23.0

Infant (KS1)

3

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2025/26 academic year

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Latest from Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School

From Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

Social & online

Keep up with Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School

Getting There

Bus Stops

medical centre (opp)
185m · 3 min walk
Meredith Road (adj)
255m · 4 min walk
Bernham Road (opp)
271m · 4 min walk
Raymond Close (opp)
344m · 6 min walk
Gowing Road (adj)
579m · 9 min walk

Free school transport

Check free transport to Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →

You apply to the council where you live. Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School 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
7
Fatal
0
Serious
4
Children hurt
1

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight.

1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.

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.

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Commute and house prices

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Your chances of a place at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School

Will you get a place at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School? Get the admissions report

Your home postcode, set against Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.

What the report includes for Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School:

  • The straight-line distance from your home to Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School.
  • We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
  • Applications, first choices and offers at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School 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

84%

Available places

152 pupils

180 places

28 spare places in 2025

2025, DfE school capacity data

Area Demand Pressure - Norwich

Low pressure
New homes approved:8,098
Projected new pupils:2,025

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Norwich

Across Norfolk council

Low demand council-wide0.78 applications per place

Places available

9,547

Applications

7,482

Got 1st preference

94.4%

Got preferred school

98.7%

All primary applications across Norfolk council (2026/27), not just this school.

This school: Every first choice offered

Inspection History(2)

14 January 2025
Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Early YearsOutstanding
5 March 2015
OutstandingReport
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding

SEND & SEN Provision

SEN Overview

16

SEN Support

7

EHC Plans

13.3%

of Total Pupils

2026 academic year

Provision & Specialist Facilities

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 16 places, 9 pupils on roll.

Source: GIAS, Department for Education.

Pupils by Need Type

Speech, Language & Communication15
Social, Emotional & Mental Health6
Specific Learning Difficulty1
Visual Impairment1
EHC Plan
SEN Support

Pupil Demographics

Ethnicity

White British
89.0%
Asian
2.9%
Mixed
6.3%
Other
0.6%

2026 academic year

Key Indicators

Free School Meals4.6%
English as Additional Language4.6%

173

Total Pupils

82

Boys

91

Girls

2026 academic year

Workforce

15

Teachers

11.5:1

Pupil-teacher ratio

£49,289

Mean salary

2026 data

School Funding

£5,133

Per pupil

£883k

Total funding

£9k

Pupil premium

Deprivation£13,821
EAL funding£5,026
Lump sum£141,932

2025-26 financial year allocations

Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.6%

Overall absence

12.0%

Persistent absence

108

Enrolments

Authorised4.2%
Unauthorised1.4%
Persistent (10%+)12.0%
Severe (50%+)0.0%

Absence trend

4.0%
18/19
2.4%
20/21
6.4%
21/22
7.0%
22/23
5.5%
23/24
5.6%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Questions parents ask about Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School

What is Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Outstanding.

What is the catchment area for Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

No fixed boundary. When Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

Is it hard to get a place at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 180 places.

How big are the classes at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

Classes at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School average 28.7 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.

How many pupils go to Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School has around 173 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.

Does Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School have specialist SEN provision?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 16 places, 9 pupils on roll.

What is attendance like at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

5.6% of sessions were missed at Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School in 2024/25. 12% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).

How do I apply to Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.

How many road collisions happen near Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 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 Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School?

Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School is at Arden Grove, Hellesdon, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6QA.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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