Sewell Park Academy, Norwich

Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades Sewell Park Academy on 6 areas: 5 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "The school takes prompt and robust action to ensure that pupils attend well."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Since the previous inspection, leaders have made notable changes to curriculum and teaching."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The school supports an above average number of pupils who are disadvantaged."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Since the previous inspection, a new chair of trustees, chair of governors, chief executive officer (CEO) and deputy CEO have been appointed."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The personal development programme is well planned."

Achievement - Needs attention. "The school has a significant number of pupils who join with lower than average starting points, including in reading, writing and mathematics."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Teachers should ensure that pupils who join the school with higher starting points are given sufficient opportunities to apply their knowledge and deepen their learning"; "Teachers should consistently provide pupils with effective opportunities to respond to feedback, so they achieve well through the curriculum, including in national tests and examinations"; "Leaders should develop a wider range of opportunities for pupils to build their self-confidence, including their oracy skills".

In 2026, pupils at Sewell Park Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.

30% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.

That is down from 39.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.43: 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 32.6, against 42.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 128 families put Sewell Park Academy as their first choice and 270 named it as one of their preferences, for 134 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Sewell Park Academy are Jane Austen College (1 mile, Outstanding, Attainment 8 52.2); Sprowston Community Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.8); The Open Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33.1); and Notre Dame High School, Norwich (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 57).

Sewell Park Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Sewell Park Academy is one of 18 schools run by Broad Horizons Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.8 in 2024/25.

Of the 131 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 68% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

44% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 25.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (71%) and Black (6%).

In 2026, 153 pupils (19.7%) received SEN support and 56 (7.2%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Norwich Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sewell Road (opposite), 50 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 385 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Sewell Park Academy issued 281 suspensions, 35.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Sewell Park Academy are St. Clements Hill Primary Academy (0.3 miles), Angel Road Infant School (0.4 miles), Angel Road Junior School (0.4 miles) and George White Junior School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.