Sidestrand Hall School, Cromer
Sidestrand Hall School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 19 in Cromer, part of Trust Norfolk-SEN. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sidestrand Hall School in detail
The trust
Sidestrand Hall School is one of 6 schools run by Trust Norfolk-SEN, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 28 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 14% to a further education college.
Who goes there
51.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Sidestrand Hall School has an education, health and care plan (199 of 199 in 2026). The most common need among them is a moderate learning difficulty.
Sidestrand Hall School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 198 places, 198 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Roughton Road Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church (opposite), 100 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, Sidestrand Hall School issued 7 suspensions, 3.6 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 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 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
51.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Vision, Hearing, Speech and language +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Sidestrand Hall School
Before and after school care
Sidestrand Hall School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Norfolk
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sidestrand Hall School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sidestrand Hall 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
199 pupils
199 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Cromer
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cromer
Across Norfolk council
Places available
9,559
Applications
8,625
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Norfolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
199
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Sidestrand Hall School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 198 places, 198 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
199
Total Pupils
142
Boys
57
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
6.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,819
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.7%
Overall absence
26.4%
Persistent absence
140
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Sidestrand Hall School
Questions parents ask about Sidestrand Hall School
What are SATs results like at Sidestrand Hall School?
Of the pupils at Sidestrand Hall School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Sidestrand Hall School's Ofsted rating?
Sidestrand Hall School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sidestrand Hall School?
No fixed boundary. When Sidestrand Hall School is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Sidestrand Hall School?
Sidestrand Hall School has around 199 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Sidestrand Hall School have specialist SEN provision?
Sidestrand Hall School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 198 places, 198 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Sidestrand Hall School?
8.7% of sessions were missed at Sidestrand Hall School in 2024/25. 26.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sidestrand Hall School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Sidestrand Hall School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Sidestrand Hall School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Sidestrand Hall School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Sidestrand Hall 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 Sidestrand Hall School?
Sidestrand Hall School is at Cromer Road, Sidestrand, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 0NH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)