Sprowston Infant School, Norwich
Sprowston Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Norwich. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. It was 80% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
Sprowston Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Sprowston Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 39 families put Sprowston Infant School as their first choice and 96 named it as one of their preferences, for 40 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 Sprowston Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sprowston Infant School are Sprowston Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 57% reading, 56% maths); Sparhawk Infant School & Nursery (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Cecil Gowing Infant School (0.5 miles, Good); and Falcon Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 67% reading, 65% maths).
Sprowston Junior SchoolSparhawk Infant School & NurseryCecil Gowing Infant SchoolFalcon Junior School
What parents say
24 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sprowston Infant School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 16 pupils (14.4%) received SEN support and 27 (24.3%) 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 autism.
Sprowston Infant School has a SEN unit for autism: 26 places, 26 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Sprowston Infant School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Norwich Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Police Station (adjacent), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 114 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Sprowston Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Sprowston Infant School are Sprowston Community Academy (0.4 miles), The Open Academy (0.9 miles) and Sewell Park Academy (1 mile).
Sprowston Community AcademyThe Open AcademySewell Park Academy
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from February 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a happy, inclusive environment where all children thrive. Children develop excellent writing and reading skills through expert teaching and daily practice with adult support. The school is particularly strong at supporting children with special educational needs, ensuring every child can access the full curriculum and participate alongside their peers.
Key Strengths
- Pupils develop very strong writing skills with daily practice and immediate feedback from adults
- Teaching of reading is precise and enables pupils to master decoding quickly
- Excellent behaviour and calm, purposeful classrooms
- Highly inclusive school with excellent support for pupils with special educational needs
- Well-thought-out curriculum with clear progression from Nursery through Year 2
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, activities sometimes focus too much on learning facts rather than helping pupils apply and develop secure understanding
- Staff need more expertise in designing activities that allow pupils to apply knowledge across all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Visiting planetarium, trips to local shops and green spaces, hairstyling models, small world play, large-scale ball games, democracy activities including voting for story books
Sprowston Infant School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection in 2020. Pupils are happy, well-behaved, and develop strong writing skills through a balanced curriculum that combines focused teaching with play-based learning.
At a Glance
26.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
24 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
15.9
Avg class size
18.8
Infant (KS1)
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Sprowston Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sprowston Infant School.
- Premier Sparhawk Wrap Around Care710m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sprowston Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sprowston Infant 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Sprowston Infant School
Will you get a place at Sprowston Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sprowston Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sprowston Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sprowston Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sprowston Infant 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
80%
Available places
125 pupils
157 places
32 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Norwich
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Norwich
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(8)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
38.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Sprowston Infant School has a SEN unit for autism: 26 places, 26 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
111
Total Pupils
64
Boys
47
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
10.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,895
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,942
Per pupil
£892k
Total funding
£53k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.4%
Overall absence
17.0%
Persistent absence
94
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
Sprowston Infant School
Questions parents ask about Sprowston Infant School
What is Sprowston Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Sprowston Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sprowston Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Sprowston Infant 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 Sprowston Infant School?
Sprowston Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 157 places.
How big are the classes at Sprowston Infant School?
Classes at Sprowston Infant School average 15.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sprowston Infant School?
Sprowston Infant School has around 111 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Sprowston Infant School have specialist SEN provision?
Sprowston Infant School has a SEN unit for autism: 26 places, 26 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Sprowston Infant School?
6.4% of sessions were missed at Sprowston Infant School in 2024/25. 17% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sprowston Infant School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Sprowston Infant 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.
Does Sprowston Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Sprowston Infant School: Premier Sparhawk Wrap Around Care (710m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Sprowston Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Sprowston Infant School?
Sprowston Infant School is at Recreation Ground Road, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8EW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)