Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy, Norwich
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Norwich, 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 November 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 71st-highest of the 102 schools in Norwich with published results, and 11,322nd of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Capacity
- 88% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 89% in reading and 89% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary 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.
Admissions history and your chances at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy are Lyng Church of England Primary Academy (2 miles, 88% reading, 88% maths); Reepham Primary School (2.7 miles, Good, 91% reading, 95% maths); Hockering Church of England Primary Academy (3.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 67% maths); and Bawdeswell Community Primary School (3.9 miles, Good, 73% reading, 36% maths).
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Lyng Church of England Primary AcademyReepham Primary SchoolHockering Church of England Primary AcademyBawdeswell Community Primary School
The trust
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary 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
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
5.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (87%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 11 pupils (15.7%) received SEN support and 2 (2.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bus Shelter (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy issued 6 suspensions, 8.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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 school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 November 2013, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This small school creates a caring, friendly environment where pupils thrive. Teachers explain things clearly and encourage children to think for themselves, making pupils resilient learners. The school teaches pupils about important topics like democracy, equality and the lives of inspiring figures, helping them become confident and empathetic young people.
Key Strengths
- Strong curriculum design that builds knowledge logically, with teachers using clear explanations and rigorous checks of understanding
- Excellent reading provision using phonics, with books matched to pupils' reading levels so they read with fluency and expression
- Strong support for pupils with SEND and those falling behind in reading and maths, resulting in good achievement
- Positive pupil attitudes - pupils are respectful, kind, and resolve disputes maturely
- Ambitious vision for pupils' lives that develops empathetic, tolerant and confident young people
Areas for Improvement
- Attendance rates above national average for persistent absence - some pupils miss too much school and cannot access the curriculum as well as they could
- Some teachers do not systematically check spelling and punctuation errors, so pupils continue making the same mistakes
- Leaders need more rigorous analysis of attendance patterns to work with parents and improve regular attendance
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with teachers ensuring pupils know how to stay safe, especially online.
Extracurricular Activities
Nativity plays, singing performances at London arenas, sports leadership on playgrounds, school council, local mathematical challenges, visits from British para-Olympians, reading and mathematics cafes for parents
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. This small school ensures pupils learn about a bigger world while experiencing a caring, friendly ethos where teachers have high expectations.
At a Glance
20.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 89% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 89% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.3
Avg class size
23.5
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Great Witchingham Church of England Primary 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 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 Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy 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
88%
Available places
75 pupils
85 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Norwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Norwich
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
70
Total Pupils
35
Boys
35
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
14.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,867
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,372
Per pupil
£599k
Total funding
£26k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.5%
Overall absence
29.0%
Persistent absence
69
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Great Witchingham Church of England Primary 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 Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 85 places.
How big are the classes at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
Classes at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy average 23.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy has around 70 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
9.5% of sessions were missed at Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy in 2024/25. 29% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy?
Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy is at The Street, Lenwade, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5SD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)