Cliff Park Ormiston Academy, Great Yarmouth

In its own words: "At Cliff Park Ormiston Academy our British Values of Tolerance, Democracy, Mutual Respect, Rule of Law and Individual Liberty are consolidated and enhanced by the explicit teaching of our academies core values, CARE ( Community , Aspiration , Resilience and Excellence )."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Cliff Park Ormiston Academy is a very special school where your child will be safe, happy and where they will achieve success. At Cliff Park Ormiston Academy we strive for ‘Excellence Everyday’ - in big moments of academic achievement and extra-curricular success as well as in small moments of self-discovery, perseverance, respect and community."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, tennis, basketball, multi-sports, dance, drama, chess, art and Duke of Edinburgh.

The school runs a breakfast club.

In 2026, pupils at Cliff Park Ormiston Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.

28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 35.9.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.7: pupils made well 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 30.4, against 41.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Religious Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 75 families put Cliff Park Ormiston Academy as their first choice and 264 named it as one of their preferences, for 172 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Cliff Park Ormiston Academy are Ormiston Venture Academy (0.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 45.7); Lynn Grove Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.8); Visiting Teacher Service East at Education Services Centre (3.3 miles); and Great Yarmouth Charter Academy (4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.8).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Cliff Park Ormiston Academy.

Cliff Park 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.

91 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cliff Park Ormiston Academy (as of September 2025): 48% would recommend the school, 62% say their child is happy there and 53% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (71%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (45%).

Of the 167 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 35% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

44.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%) and Mixed (5%).

In 2026, 191 pupils (23.5%) received SEN support and 29 (3.6%) 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.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Cliff Park Ormiston Academy.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cliff Park High (opposite), 130 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 130 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour 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, Cliff Park Ormiston Academy issued 176 suspensions, 21.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Cliff Park Ormiston Academy are Ormiston Cliff Park Primary Academy (under 0.1 miles), Peterhouse CofE Primary Academy (0.7 miles), Ormiston Herman Academy (0.9 miles) and Stradbroke Primary Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.