Hockering Church of England Primary Academy, Dereham
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 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 November 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 12 schools in Dereham with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 62% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Hockering 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.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 3 families put Hockering Church of England Primary Academy as their first choice and 10 named it as one of their preferences, for 3 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hockering Church of England Primary Academy are Mattishall Primary School (2.1 miles, Good, 65% reading, 55% maths); Lyng Church of England Primary Academy (3 miles, 88% reading, 88% maths); Great Witchingham Church of England Primary Academy (3.5 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths); and Barnham Broom Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (3.5 miles, Requires improvement, 72% reading, 50% maths).
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Mattishall Primary SchoolLyng Church of England Primary AcademyGreat Witchingham Church of England Primary AcademyBarnham Broom Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
The trust
Hockering 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
Who goes there
3.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 9 pupils (30%) received SEN support and 1 (3.3%) 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
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy had 3 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 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 Hockering Church of England Primary Academy.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Victoria (opposite), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hockering Church of England Primary Academy issued 2 suspensions, 6.5 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; 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
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a caring school where every child is known as an individual and receives tailored support to help them succeed. Staff have excellent training in how to teach reading, and pupils become enthusiastic readers. The school offers exciting enrichment opportunities and helps children grow in confidence, with a wonderful sense of community where kindness and respect are woven into everyday life.
Key Strengths
- Staff provide highly personalised support to help every pupil catch up and close gaps in knowledge
- Pupils learn to read well through high-quality, federation-wide phonics training and have access to interesting, engaging texts
- The school creates a strong culture of kindness and respect, with pupils behaving respectfully towards each other
- Pupils with SEND receive tailored support and access the same curriculum as their peers
- Personal development is promoted well through enrichment activities and visiting speakers
Areas for Improvement
- The school has not developed a consistent approach to teaching grammar, punctuation and spelling across all classes
- Some pupils do not apply their knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling well enough in their written work
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Karate sessions, singing performance at the O2, visiting speakers, dentist visit, play therapy, social skills support
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy is a good school where pupils are settled, happy and safe, benefiting from being part of a wider federation of schools with high expectations and quality training for staff.
At a Glance
33.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
15.0
Avg class size
18.0
KS2
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Hockering Church of England Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hockering Church of England Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hockering 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- 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: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 0 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
Your chances of a place at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hockering Church of England Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hockering Church of England Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hockering 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 Hockering 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
62%
Available places
31 pupils
50 places
19 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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
9
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
33.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
30
Total Pupils
17
Boys
13
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
10.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£42,598
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£10,589
Per pupil
£387k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.5%
Overall absence
24.2%
Persistent absence
33
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Hockering Church of England Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Hockering Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 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 Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Hockering 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 Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 62% of its 50 places.
How big are the classes at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
Classes at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy average 15 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy has around 30 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
9.5% of sessions were missed at Hockering Church of England Primary Academy in 2024/25. 24.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Hockering 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 Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 0 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 Hockering Church of England Primary Academy?
Hockering Church of England Primary Academy is at The Street, Hockering, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 3HN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)