Smithdon High School, Hunstanton
Smithdon High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Hunstanton, part of West Norfolk Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 43rd-highest of the 53 schools in Norfolk with published results, and 2,455th of 3,298 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Smithdon High School in detail
Smithdon High School in its own words
In its own words: "Smithdon High School is a dynamic learning community focused on preparing young people for an ever changing future. We live in exponential times; our children will embark on careers that probably did not exist when their parents were at school."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Smithdon High School. Having worked at Smithdon in various roles, most recently as Deputy Headteacher, I am proud to now be leading the school as it's Acting Headteacher. During my many years here, I have had the privilege of seeing generations of students grow, succeed, and go on to make their mark in the world."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, tennis, athletics, gymnastics, basketball, badminton and running.
Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 5pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Norfolk
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Smithdon High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.
41% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.
That is up from 40.3 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.41: 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 27.3, against 45.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 18.3 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and French.
Getting a place at Smithdon High School
For September 2026 entry, 90 families put Smithdon High School as their first choice and 122 named it as one of their preferences, for 95 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
The trust
Smithdon High School is one of 11 schools run by West Norfolk Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.2 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 120 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 65% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 7% into work.
Who goes there
4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 161 pupils (27.8%) received SEN support and 30 (5.2%) 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.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Smithdon High School.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Smithdon High School (adjacent), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Smithdon High School issued 119 suspensions, 21.1 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 destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Smithdon High School is a small comprehensive school academy, with 559 students in Hunstanton, Norfolk, England. Its buildings are Grade II* listed.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
27.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.07 to -0.41 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 43.1 to 41.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 41% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 41.3 | 40.5% |
| Disadvantaged(27) | - | 27.3 | 18.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(89) | - | 45.6 | 47.2% |
| Boys(58) | - | 41.1 | 39.7% |
| Girls(58) | - | 41.5 | 41.4% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(112) | - | 41.8 | 41.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 120 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
119
Suspensions
21.10%
Suspension rate
60 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 564 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Latest from Smithdon High School
WNAT Students Celebrate Record A-Level Results
14 Aug 2026
Smithdon teacher steps down after 46 years
16 Jul 2026
WNAT Music Festival returns bigger and better
16 Jul 2026
Winners cast own medals in WNAT design competition
15 Jul 2026
Students impress at Hunstanton Town Hall
8 Jul 2026
New leadership as Smithdon begins rebuild
3 Jul 2026
From Smithdon High School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Smithdon High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Smithdon High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Smithdon High 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
1 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 Smithdon High School
Will you get a place at Smithdon High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Smithdon High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Smithdon High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Smithdon High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Smithdon High 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
75%
Available places
562 pupils
750 places
188 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hunstanton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hunstanton
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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
161
SEN Support
30
EHC Plans
33.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
579
Total Pupils
268
Boys
311
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
35
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,304
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,908
Per pupil
£4129k
Total funding
£142k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.3%
Overall absence
34.2%
Persistent absence
582
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
Smithdon High School
Questions parents ask about Smithdon High School
What are GCSE results like at Smithdon High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Smithdon High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 41.3. 41% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Smithdon High School's Ofsted rating?
Smithdon High School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Smithdon High School?
No fixed boundary. When Smithdon High 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 Smithdon High School?
Smithdon High School was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 750 places.
How big are the classes at Smithdon High School?
Classes at Smithdon High School average 25.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Smithdon High School?
Smithdon High School has around 579 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Smithdon High School?
12.3% of sessions were missed at Smithdon High School in 2024/25. 34.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Smithdon High School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Smithdon High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Smithdon High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 1 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 Smithdon High School?
Smithdon High School is at Downs Road, Hunstanton, Norfolk, PE36 5HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)