Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Norwich
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Norwich. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 102nd-highest of the 102 schools in Norwich with published results, and 14,434th of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 25% of Year 6 pupils at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 25% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 4 families put Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 10 named it as one of their preferences, for 4 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School are Bunwell Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 67% reading, 58% maths); Tacolneston Church of England Primary Academy (2.4 miles, 80% reading, 53% maths); Aslacton Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths); and Forncett St Peter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (3 miles, Good, 67% reading, 33% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.
Bunwell Primary SchoolTacolneston Church of England Primary AcademyAslacton Primary SchoolForncett St Peter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
What parents say
24 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (as of September 2025): 79% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 29% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (29%).
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 12 pupils (20.3%) received SEN support and 10 (16.9%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28).
Suspensions and exclusions
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This small school creates a warm, supportive environment where pupils feel safe and happy while working hard to achieve well. Teachers have high expectations and deliver a broad curriculum enhanced with interesting trips and visitors that bring learning to life. The school excels at identifying and supporting pupils with additional needs, and places a strong priority on reading through daily story time and a well-resourced library.
Key Strengths
- Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave well, with strong school values of kindness, honesty and perseverance
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with good subject knowledge from staff, enhanced by trips to local sites like Norwich Castle and visits from specialists
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, with effective additional adult training and quick identification of needs
- Effective early years provision where children develop key skills through engaging activities and become confident learners
- Strong focus on reading with an updated library and daily story time, plus established phonics programme
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, key concepts that pupils should learn over time are not made clear to staff, so pupils struggle to link new learning to what they already know
- Phonics teaching is not always delivered consistently using the agreed approaches, and some pupils practice reading books with sounds they cannot yet decode, which slows their progress to fluency
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Rock band club, dodgeball, football, residential visits, sailing, high rope climbing, school council activities, charity fundraising events
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a small primary school where pupils enjoy learning in a safe and happy environment. The school has improved from its previous 'Requires improvement' rating and now provides a good quality of education.
At a Glance
16.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
24 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 declined from 83% to 25% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 50% to 25% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 50% to 38% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
19.7
Avg class size
18.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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
Your chances of a place at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Will you get a place at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary 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
65 pupils
77 places
12 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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
12
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
37.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
59
Total Pupils
31
Boys
28
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
9.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,912
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,747
Per pupil
£508k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.5%
Overall absence
17.2%
Persistent absence
58
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
What are SATs results like at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Of the pupils at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 25% reached the expected standard in reading and 25% did so in maths.
What is Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary 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 Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 77 places.
How big are the classes at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Classes at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School average 19.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has around 59 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
7.5% of sessions were missed at Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in 2024/25. 17.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary 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 Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Church Road, Carleton Rode, Norwich, Norfolk, NR16 1RW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)