City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy, Norwich

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "This school benefits from long-term, stable leadership."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils are typically taught well, make progress and produce work that reflects their starting points and meets their teachers' expectations."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance is a priority."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Teachers and leaders have designed a well-thought-out curriculum in each subject area."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school has created an inclusive culture."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise personal development and wellbeing."

Post-16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders create an inclusive sixth form that is popular with students."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to improve pupils' attendance by ensuring that their attendance strategies lead to sustained improvements for identified individuals and groups"; "Leaders should continue their work to secure greater consistency in the quality of teaching by ensuring that teachers routinely provide appropriate challenge, deepen pupils' understanding through effective questioning and implement support strategies for pupils with barriers to learning with greater precision".

From the headteacher's welcome: "K nown locally as CNS, we are a secondary school and sixth form on Eaton Road in Norwich. The school is very proud of its cultural heritage, having been a key part of the educational landscape of Norwich ever since it was established in 1910."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.

53% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.

That is down from 50.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.09: pupils made about 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 33.3, against 56 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 22.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 278 families put City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy as their first choice and 562 named it as one of their preferences, for 269 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 18 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy are Visiting Teacher Service Central (0.5 miles); Hewett Academy (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.1); University Technical College Norfolk (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 50.4); and Notre Dame High School, Norwich (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 57).

City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy is one of 44 schools run by Ormiston Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41 in 2024/25.

Of the 258 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 43% to a further education college, 0% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 204 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 51% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 28% into work. 27% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

In 2026, 263 pupils (15.6%) received SEN support and 45 (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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Norwich Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is City of Norwich School (adjacent), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 154 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy issued 156 suspensions, 9.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy are Tuckswood Academy (0.5 miles), Eaton Primary School (0.6 miles), Colman Infant School (0.7 miles) and Colman Junior School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.