Old Buckenham Primary School, Attleborough
Old Buckenham Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Attleborough, part of Sapientia Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 118th-highest of the 267 schools in Norfolk with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Old Buckenham Primary School in detail
Old Buckenham Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our school vision is to ‘ inspire learning for life ’, empowering our pupils and ensuring they are ready and equipped with the skills to succeed not just in school, but in everyday life. The school’s dedicated team of staff work hard to reach high standards in everything we do."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Old Buckenham Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% 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 (81% in reading, 67% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Old Buckenham Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put Old Buckenham Primary School as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Old Buckenham Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Old Buckenham Primary School are Banham Primary School (2.4 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 67% maths); Rosecroft Primary School (2.4 miles); Attleborough Primary School (2.4 miles); and Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (3.1 miles, Requires improvement, 25% reading, 25% maths).
Old Buckenham Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Banham Primary SchoolRosecroft Primary SchoolAttleborough Primary SchoolCarleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
The trust
Old Buckenham Primary School is one of 23 schools run by Sapientia Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
3.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Mixed (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Attleborough Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (adjacent), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime 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, Old Buckenham Primary School issued 11 suspensions, 5.6 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; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2019, 7 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 Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
16.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 81% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 67% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 78% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.4
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Old Buckenham Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Old Buckenham Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Old Buckenham Primary 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Old Buckenham Primary School
Will you get a place at Old Buckenham Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Old Buckenham Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Old Buckenham Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Old Buckenham Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Old Buckenham Primary 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
94%
Near capacity
198 pupils
210 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Attleborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Attleborough
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
31
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
21.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
184
Total Pupils
96
Boys
88
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,935
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,026
Per pupil
£1067k
Total funding
£42k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
11.9%
Persistent absence
185
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
Old Buckenham Primary School
Questions parents ask about Old Buckenham Primary School
What are SATs results like at Old Buckenham Primary School?
Of the pupils at Old Buckenham Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Old Buckenham Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Old Buckenham Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Old Buckenham Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Old Buckenham Primary 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 Old Buckenham Primary School?
Old Buckenham Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Old Buckenham Primary School?
Classes at Old Buckenham Primary School average 26.4 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 Old Buckenham Primary School?
Old Buckenham Primary School has around 184 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Old Buckenham Primary School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Old Buckenham Primary School in 2024/25. 11.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Old Buckenham Primary School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Old Buckenham Primary School 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 Old Buckenham Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Old Buckenham Primary School?
Old Buckenham Primary School is at Abbey Road, Old Buckenham, Attleborough, Norfolk, NR17 1RH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)