St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, Norwich
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Norwich, part of St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 38th-highest of the 102 schools in Norwich with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than 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
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School in detail
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "The family of St. Francis of Assisi is a school community following in the footsteps of Christ and built on the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, Norwich. We are a large multi-cultural school which opened as a new Catholic primary school in September 2013. In Spring 2016, we joined the St. John the Baptist Catholic Multi-Academy Trust."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 76 families put St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 132 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 19 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School are Colman Infant School (0.3 miles); Colman Junior School (0.3 miles, 72% reading, 76% maths); Avenue Junior School (0.3 miles, Good, 83% reading, 67% maths); and Recreation Road Infant School (0.4 miles, Outstanding).
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Colman Infant SchoolColman Junior SchoolAvenue Junior SchoolRecreation Road Infant School
The trust
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School is one of 11 schools run by St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 11 schools in St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
9.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 44.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (45%), Mixed (12%) and Black (8%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Norwich Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Christchurch Road (opposite), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 253 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School issued 21 suspensions, 5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School are City Academy Norwich (0.8 miles); City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy (0.9 miles); Hewett Academy (1.2 miles); and Visiting Teacher Service Central (1.4 miles).
City Academy NorwichCity of Norwich School, An Ormiston AcademyHewett AcademyVisiting Teacher Service Central
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 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2014, 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 and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils love their school. They understand and live the school values. Pupils enjoy learning because teachers make lessons interesting, relevant and fun. Teachers explain content clearly and help pupils to improve their work if they are stuck. Pupils achieve exceptionally well during their time at the school.
Pupils have lots of friends at school. If pupils have worries, they are confident these will be sorted by talking to an adult or putting a note in the 'worry monster' in their classrooms.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum from early years to Year 6, is broad, balanced and exciting. The school has designed the curriculum so that pupils gain the important knowledge they need to achieve well and have the best life chances. Leaders provide highly effective curriculum training for staff. They ensure that teachers have time to take on board and implement curriculum improvements. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. This enables them to teach the curriculum consistently well. Teachers carefully check pupils' learning. This helps support pupils to improve their work.
Children in early years make a strong start to learning to read. The school has written their own carefully structured reading scheme. Staff understand how to teach phonics. They do this very well. This helps children, including those with English as an additional language, to learn the sounds that letters make. By the end of Reception, children are well prepared for Year 1. Pupils who need extra help with reading get the support they need. This helps pupils to become fluent readers.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2014 inspection.
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 87% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 81% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.2
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
31.4
KS2
14
Total classes
7 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School.
- Premier St Francis Of Assisi Holiday ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Set Your Sights560m away · Not yet graded
- Barracudas (Norwich)980m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis of Assisi Catholic 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
- 25
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
8 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 St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School
Will you get a place at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Francis of Assisi Catholic 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 St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary 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
100%
Full
420 pupils
420 places
No 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
73
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
20.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
424
Total Pupils
205
Boys
219
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,988
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,067
Per pupil
£2322k
Total funding
£64k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
6.7%
Persistent absence
371
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
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis of Assisi Catholic 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 St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
Classes at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School average 30.2 pupils (2025/26). 7 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School has around 424 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School in 2024/25. 6.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis of Assisi Catholic 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.
Does St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Premier St Francis Of Assisi Holiday Club (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 4 serious and 20 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 8 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 St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School is at Jessopp Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 3QB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)