Bure Valley School, Norwich
Bure Valley School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Norwich, part of The Aylsham Cluster Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 30th-highest of the 102 schools in Norwich with published results, and 6,110th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Capacity
- 98% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bure Valley School in detail
Bure Valley School in its own words
In its own words: ""The most able pupils achieve well because they are given challenging work to do and much is expected of them." Our statement fully embodies our vision for the children of Bure Valley, the staff and the community. At Bure Valley, our values produce a school culture that is positive, nurturing and respectful."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include hockey and basketball.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Bure Valley School reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 70% in reading and 72% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bure Valley School
Across Norfolk, 94% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Norfolk lodged 64 appeals against primary school offers; 51 reached a hearing and 5 succeeded (9.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bure Valley School are John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St Michael's Church of England VA Primary and Nursery School (0.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 63% maths); Colby Primary School (3 miles, Good, 96% reading, 96% maths); and Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School (3.1 miles, Requires improvement, 89% reading, 56% maths).
Bure Valley School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
John of Gaunt Infant and Nursery SchoolSt Michael's Church of England VA Primary and Nursery SchoolColby Primary SchoolErpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School
The trust
Bure Valley School is one of 4 schools run by The Aylsham Cluster Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bure Valley School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 64 pupils (28.4%) received SEN support and 6 (2.7%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Aylsham (Bure Valley Railway), about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tesco (adjacent), 310 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 43 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bure Valley School issued 5 suspensions, 2.1 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bure Valley School is a warm, happy place where your child will thrive both academically and personally. The school offers an impressive range of enrichment activities - every pupil learns a musical instrument and joins the school orchestra. Your child will develop strong reading skills, good behaviour habits, and have genuine opportunities to take on leadership roles that build confidence.
Key Strengths
- Reading is prioritized with effective phonics teaching and a well-stocked library that helps pupils develop a love of reading
- Pupils have an active voice with many leadership opportunities, including playleaders and 'friendly faces' support roles
- Rich extra-curricular offer with trips and clubs in sport, music and arts, plus every pupil learns an instrument
- Strong behaviour management with consistent expectations that pupils are eager to meet
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs, with barriers to learning removed
Areas for Improvement
- Writing expectations are not consistent across the curriculum - pupils write to a higher standard in English lessons than in other subjects
- Key knowledge is not always taught clearly enough, meaning pupils don't secure core curriculum content as well as they could
- Teaching activities sometimes don't effectively support pupils to learn and remember the most important content
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, music lessons and orchestra, arts clubs, school trips, playleader roles, 'friendly faces' peer support, before- and after-school provision
Bure Valley School is a happy, welcoming place where pupils achieve well across the curriculum and have positive attitudes to learning. The school has maintained good standards since its previous inspection, with strong relationships between staff, pupils and families.
At a Glance
23.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 70% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 72% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 66% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.4
Avg class size
30.4
KS2
5
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bure Valley School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bure Valley School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bure Valley 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 2 serious and 1 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
98%
Near capacity
236 pupils
240 places
4 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
9,547
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.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
64
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
31.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
225
Total Pupils
113
Boys
112
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
16.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,286
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,161
Per pupil
£1372k
Total funding
£88k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
11.5%
Persistent absence
244
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Bure Valley School
Questions parents ask about Bure Valley School
What are SATs results like at Bure Valley School?
Of the pupils at Bure Valley School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is Bure Valley School's Ofsted rating?
Bure Valley School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bure Valley School?
No fixed boundary. When Bure Valley 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 Bure Valley School?
Bure Valley School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Bure Valley School?
Classes at Bure Valley School average 30.4 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bure Valley School?
Bure Valley School has around 225 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bure Valley School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Bure Valley School in 2024/25. 11.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bure Valley School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Bure Valley School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Bure Valley School?
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, 2 serious and 1 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 Bure Valley School?
Bure Valley School is at Hungate Street, Aylsham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR11 6JZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)