Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Cromer
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cromer. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2021 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 145th-highest of the 267 schools in Norfolk with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in detail
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to The Belfry CE VA Primary School in Overstrand, on the beautiful North Norfolk coast. We are a small school with five classes and 139 pupils. The Belfry is a Church of England school with a Christian mission to educate, serving the children of Overstrand and the surrounding areas."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care until 4:00pm.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Norfolk
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 86% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 25 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School are Northrepps Primary School (0.8 miles, Good); Suffield Park Infant and Nursery School, Cromer (1.2 miles, Good); Cromer Junior School (1.3 miles, Good, 85% reading, 76% maths); and St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy (2.6 miles, 75% reading, 67% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School.
Northrepps Primary SchoolSuffield Park Infant and Nursery School, CromerCromer Junior SchoolSt Mary's Church of England Primary Academy
Who goes there
9.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 2 (1.5%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Roughton Road Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 2.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 5 years agoThis judgement is from May 2012, 14 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 May 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.2%
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 declined from 86% to 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 81% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.0
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Will you get a place at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for 2014 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
79%
Available places
132 pupils
168 places
36 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cromer
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cromer
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
12.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
130
Total Pupils
67
Boys
63
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,523
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,629
Per pupil
£820k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
10.3%
Persistent absence
126
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
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Questions parents ask about Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
What are SATs results like at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Of the pupils at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2021, 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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 168 places.
How big are the classes at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Classes at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School average 26 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has around 130 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in 2024/25. 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at 23 Cromer Road, Overstrand, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 0NT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)