Dereham Neatherd High School, Dereham
Dereham Neatherd High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Dereham, part of Enrich Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 34th-highest of the 53 schools in Norfolk with published results, and 2,159th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 107% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Dereham Neatherd High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Dereham Neatherd High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.
40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.
That is down from 47.4 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.42: pupils made 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 33.7, against 45.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at Dereham Neatherd High School
For September 2026 entry, 225 families put Dereham Neatherd High School as their first choice and 349 named it as one of their preferences, for 218 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Dereham Neatherd High School
The trust
Dereham Neatherd High School is one of 9 schools run by Enrich Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.7 in 2024/25.
What parents say
114 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dereham Neatherd High School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 58% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (58%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 229 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
9.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 198 pupils (18.4%) received SEN support and 82 (7.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Dereham Neatherd High School has a SEN unit for autism: 25 places, 25 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Dereham (Mid Norfolk Railway), about 610 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Neatherd High School (adjacent), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 107 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 Neatherd High School issued 358 suspensions, 31.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Dereham Neatherd High School are King's Park Infant School, Dereham (0.6 miles); Dereham Church of England Infant and Nursery Academy (0.8 miles); Grove House Infant and Nursery School (0.8 miles); and Dereham Church of England Junior Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
King's Park Infant School, DerehamDereham Church of England Infant and Nursery AcademyGrove House Infant and Nursery SchoolDereham Church of England Junior Academy
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; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from May 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school is genuinely welcoming to all pupils, with outstanding support for those with special educational needs who learn alongside their peers. Pupils behave respectfully and the school has created a positive culture where everyone feels valued. The school also excels at helping struggling readers develop confidence and fluency through targeted support programmes.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional inclusion and support for pupils with SEND, who are fully embraced into school life
- Effective reading support programmes that help pupils develop into confident and fluent readers
- Strong behaviour and positive culture with clear expectations that pupils and staff understand
- Well-designed personal development and ethics programme that teaches important concepts like tolerance and democracy
- Wide range of clubs and enrichment activities available to pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Many pupils lack foundational knowledge before learning new content, meaning they do not progress as well as they should
- Assessment of pupils' understanding does not consistently identify gaps in knowledge, and teaching does not always address these gaps
- Some learning activities are too simplistic, with insufficient challenge or feedback to help pupils improve their work
- Leadership and governors do not act with sufficient urgency to implement curriculum improvements
- Some pupils are not accessing the quality of education they are entitled to
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports, performances, creative writing, gardening clubs, school council, prefect roles, visits to local care homes
Dereham Neatherd High School is a highly inclusive secondary school where pupils enjoy attending and behave well, but many are not achieving as well as they should due to gaps in curriculum design and teaching effectiveness.
About
Dereham Neatherd High School is a high school situated in Dereham, Norfolk, England. It is a co-educational comprehensive school, for ages 11–16.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
21.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
114 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.05 to -0.42 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 47.6 to 43.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 45% to 40% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.1 | 39.8% |
| Disadvantaged(50) | - | 33.7 | 28% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(176) | - | 45.8 | 43.2% |
| Boys(119) | - | 40.3 | 33.6% |
| Girls(107) | - | 46.3 | 46.7% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(21) | - | 44.9 | 33.3% |
| Non mobile(217) | - | 43.6 | 40.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 229 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
5
Permanent exclusions
0.44%
Exclusion rate
358
Suspensions
31.43%
Suspension rate
77 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,139 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Keep up with Dereham Neatherd High School
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dereham Neatherd High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dereham Neatherd High 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)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
4 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
Your chances of a place at Dereham Neatherd High School
Will you get a place at Dereham Neatherd High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dereham Neatherd High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dereham Neatherd High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dereham Neatherd High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Dereham Neatherd High School for 2017 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
107%
Over capacity
1,134 pupils
1,056 places
78 pupils over capacity 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
9,559
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
198
SEN Support
82
EHC Plans
25.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Dereham Neatherd High School has a SEN unit for autism: 25 places, 25 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,079
Total Pupils
549
Boys
530
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
71
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,480
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,571
Per pupil
£7901k
Total funding
£242k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.7%
Overall absence
22.8%
Persistent absence
1,182
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 Dereham Neatherd High School
What are GCSE results like at Dereham Neatherd High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Dereham Neatherd High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.1. 40% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Dereham Neatherd High School's Ofsted rating?
Dereham Neatherd High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dereham Neatherd High School?
No fixed boundary. When Dereham Neatherd High 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 Dereham Neatherd High School?
Dereham Neatherd High School was full in 2025, at 107% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Dereham Neatherd High School?
Classes at Dereham Neatherd High School average 22.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Dereham Neatherd High School?
Dereham Neatherd High School has around 1079 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Dereham Neatherd High School have specialist SEN provision?
Dereham Neatherd High School has a SEN unit for autism: 25 places, 25 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Dereham Neatherd High School?
9.7% of sessions were missed at Dereham Neatherd High School in 2024/25. 22.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dereham Neatherd High School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Dereham Neatherd High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Dereham Neatherd High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 4 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 Neatherd High School?
Dereham Neatherd High School is at Norwich Road, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 3AX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)