Dereham Church of England Junior Academy, Dereham
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Dereham, part of The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 12 schools in Dereham with published results, and 10,901st of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Capacity
- 81% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (67% in reading, 71% in maths).
Getting a place at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy
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 Dereham Church of England Junior Academy are Grove House Infant and Nursery School (0.2 miles, Good); Dereham Church of England Infant and Nursery Academy (0.5 miles); King's Park Infant School, Dereham (0.7 miles, Good); and Scarning Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 83% maths).
Grove House Infant and Nursery SchoolDereham Church of England Infant and Nursery AcademyKing's Park Infant School, DerehamScarning Voluntary Controlled Primary School
The trust
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy is one of 42 schools run by The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 42 schools in The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust
Who goes there
40.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is (Dereham) Mid Norfolk Railway, about 930 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heffer Close (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 121 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. 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, Dereham Church of England Junior Academy issued 21 suspensions, 5.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Dereham Church of England Junior Academy are Dereham Neatherd High School (0.9 miles) and Northgate High School (1 mile).
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 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2018, 8 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?
Pupils are happy, kind and inquisitive in this highly inclusive community. They behave and learn well because of their teachers' high expectations. Pupils are safe. Pupils like their school because of its caring ethos. Pupils take care of each other. They know they can always turn to an adult if they ever have a concern.
Pupils are ready to learn. They listen carefully and eagerly respond to their teachers' questions. They discuss their learning with enthusiasm. They help each other to learn. They have gained knowledge of world religions. Pupils respect difference. They do not tolerate any prejudicial attitudes.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum. They have precisely identified the knowledge pupils should learn. This knowledge links well to what pupils have learned before. Pupils regularly revisit prior learning. This helps them to remember knowledge better.
Most teachers have strong subject knowledge as a result of the training they receive. At their best, teachers prompt and develop pupils' thinking and knowledge through skilful questioning. They rigorously check how well pupils are learning. Most teachers carefully present new knowledge clearly and in small stages so that pupils understand. In some areas of the curriculum, some teachers do not introduce new knowledge with the same clarity. As a result, some pupils do not grasp new knowledge and understanding as well as they might.
From Ofsted's June 2024 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 July 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
40.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 67% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 71% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
28.1
KS2
13
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Dereham Church of England Junior Academy
Parents Evening - Oct 2026
5 Oct 2026
Year Group Newsletters 2nd October 2026
2 Oct 2026
Making SENSE of SEND - 23.09.26
23 Sep 2026
Y5 Planetarium Letter - 2026
22 Sep 2026
Yr 3 - Stone Age Workshop - 21.10.26
18 Sep 2026
Year Group Newsletters 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
From Dereham Church of England Junior Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Dereham Church of England Junior Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dereham Church of England Junior Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dereham Church of England Junior 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- 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, 1 serious and 2 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
81%
Available places
384 pupils
475 places
91 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dereham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dereham
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
20.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
365
Total Pupils
186
Boys
179
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
18.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,850
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,176
Per pupil
£2305k
Total funding
£208k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
10.6%
Persistent absence
395
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
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy
Questions parents ask about Dereham Church of England Junior Academy
What are SATs results like at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
Of the pupils at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is Dereham Church of England Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Dereham Church of England Junior Academy is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 475 places.
How big are the classes at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
Classes at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy average 28.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy has around 365 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Dereham Church of England Junior Academy in 2024/25. 10.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Dereham Church of England Junior Academy 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 Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
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, 1 serious and 2 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 Dereham Church of England Junior Academy?
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy is at Gilpin's Ride, Littlefield's, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 1BJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)