Cromer Academy, Cromer
Cromer Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Cromer, part of Inspiration Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 15th-highest of the 53 schools in Norfolk with published results, and 1,344th of 3,298 across England. It was 83% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 offers for September 2027: Monday 1 March 2027
Applications closed on 31 October. Late applications are still accepted but considered after on-time ones.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Cromer Academy in detail
Cromer Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We believe that the education we offer at Cromer Academy is exceptional - As is each of our pupils. As a school for the entire community, we provide a personalised approach that best meets the needs of each and every individual child. Our 'family feel' has been recognised by Ofsted."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include rugby, chess, cooking and Duke of Edinburgh.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Cromer Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.
50% 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 48.1.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.26: pupils made above 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 41.6, against 49.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Cromer Academy
For September 2026 entry, 139 families put Cromer Academy as their first choice and 208 named it as one of their preferences, for 141 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 trust
Cromer Academy is one of 18 schools run by Inspiration Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.5 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 129 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 65% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 7% into work.
Who goes there
5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 69 pupils (10.4%) received SEN support and 36 (5.4%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Cromer Academy has a SEN unit for autism: 15 places, 15 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Roughton Road Rail Station, about 620 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cromer Academy (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 65 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Cromer Academy issued 121 suspensions, 18.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Cromer Academy are Cromer Junior School (under 0.1 miles); Suffield Park Infant and Nursery School, Cromer (0.1 miles); and Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (1.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Cromer Junior SchoolSuffield Park Infant and Nursery School, CromerOverstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from December 2016, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The culture of Cromer Academy is rooted in the heritage of the town it serves. It is a focal point where the achievements of the community converge and are celebrated. This culture means that pupils who attend the school understand and take great pride in their community. Pupils want to make a positive contribution to their school and wider society. To achieve this, they know that they have to meet the high aspirations teachers set for them, and many do so. They learn well.
Pupils have a deep understanding of the school's values and follow these without prompting. They are polite, engaging and respectful. They are confident in their dealings with each other and adults. There are positive relationships between teachers and pupils. Lessons are calm and focused and proceed without interruption. Bullying is rare, but if it happens, it is swiftly and effectively dealt with.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. They have identified the important knowledge that pupils need for future success. Leaders have skilfully woven in elements of local knowledge. This helps pupils put learning into context. For example, they understand how world events have shaped their local community.
Leaders have broken learning down into small, precisely defined pieces. They have carefully thought about the specific information that pupils need to know and when. Teachers use this detail to plan sequences of lessons that enable pupils to build their knowledge over time. Teachers explain concepts clearly and provide appropriately structured support. They check what pupils know effectively in order to spot gaps and misconceptions. Teachers adapt their teaching to address these. This helps pupils to construct an increasingly sophisticated web of knowledge. They use what they have learned in other areas of the curriculum and apply this in different contexts. Pupils produce high-quality work and become efficient problem-solvers.
From Ofsted's May 2023 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2016 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
About
Cromer Academy is a 11- 16 secondary school with academy status in Cromer, Norfolk. It is part of the Inspiration Trust federation.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
25.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.26 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 48.4 to 47.7 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 55% to 50% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 47.7 | 49.6% |
| Disadvantaged(32) | - | 41.6 | 40.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(95) | - | 49.7 | 52.6% |
| Boys(51) | - | 45.1 | 43.1% |
| Girls(76) | - | 49.4 | 53.9% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(6) | - | 41.7 | 33.3% |
| Non mobile(123) | - | 48.4 | 51.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 129 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.31%
Exclusion rate
121
Suspensions
18.62%
Suspension rate
38 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 650 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Latest from Cromer Academy
Celebrating GCSE Exam Success
20 Aug 2026
Summer 1 Newsletter 2026
22 May 2026
Spring 2 Newsletter 2026
27 Mar 2026
School Production of Annie Shines on Cromer Pier
9 Mar 2026
Pupils Impress at British Fencing Schools Team Championship
9 Mar 2026
Spring 1 Newsletter 2026
25 Feb 2026
From Cromer Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Cromer Academy
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Cromer Academy, with their latest published grades:
- Suffield Park Nursery - Day nursery, 0.2 milesOfsted, 30 November 2022: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cromer Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cromer Academy 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
3 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Cromer Academy
Will you get a place at Cromer Academy?
For 2026 entry it had 139 first choices for 141 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
83%
Available places
651 pupils
788 places
137 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Norfolk council
Places available
9,559
Applications
8,625
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Norfolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Cromer and Sheringham Secondary Phase planning area (Norfolk) will have 296 spare secondary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
69
SEN Support
36
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Cromer Academy has a SEN unit for autism: 15 places, 15 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
665
Total Pupils
336
Boys
329
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
42
Teachers
15.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,137
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,032
Per pupil
£4960k
Total funding
£185k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.1%
Overall absence
18.8%
Persistent absence
681
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Cromer Academy
What are GCSE results like at Cromer Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Cromer Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 47.7. 50% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Cromer Academy's Ofsted rating?
Cromer Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in December 2016, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Cromer Academy?
Cromer Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 788 places.
How big are the classes at Cromer Academy?
Classes at Cromer Academy average 26.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Cromer Academy?
Cromer Academy has around 665 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Cromer Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Cromer Academy has a SEN unit for autism: 15 places, 15 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Cromer Academy?
7.1% of sessions were missed at Cromer Academy in 2024/25. 18.8% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Cromer Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 3 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 Cromer Academy?
Cromer Academy is at Norwich Road, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 0EX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)