St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy, Spalding
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Spalding, part of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 15th-highest of the 30 schools in Spalding with published results, and 11,173rd of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lincolnshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 71% in Lincolnshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 60% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy as their first choice and 52 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy are Wygate Park Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 85% reading, 86% maths); Spalding Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 67% maths); The Spalding St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 73% maths); and Monkshouse Primary Academy (0.6 miles, 69% reading, 73% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
Wygate Park AcademySpalding Primary AcademyThe Spalding St John the Baptist Church of England Primary SchoolMonkshouse Primary Academy
The trust
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy is one of 36 schools run by Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 36 schools in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust
What parents say
30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).
Who goes there
45.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (40%), Asian (10%) and Mixed (7%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Spalding Rail Station, about 260 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is 28 Park Road (outside), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 214 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 Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy are Spalding Grammar School (0.5 miles), Spalding High School (0.9 miles) and Spalding Academy (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoThis judgement is from July 2015, 11 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a warm, welcoming school where children thrive academically and personally. The school excels at teaching reading and provides expert support for pupils with additional needs, helping them learn alongside their peers with confidence. Staff place a strong emphasis on developing kind, thoughtful individuals with positive values rooted in the school's Catholic virtues.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching with reading books well matched to pupils' sound knowledge
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, who learn the curriculum with increasing fluency and independence
- Positive behaviour and conduct throughout the school, with pupils taking ownership of their actions
- Broad and ambitious curriculum that builds logically on previous learning
- Rich enrichment programme including music, languages, sports, arts and leadership opportunities
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils struggle to communicate ideas clearly in writing due to gaps in vocabulary and grammar understanding
- Not all classroom activities sufficiently help pupils deepen their understanding of subjects
- Some pupils with English as an additional language need more support to catch up before Year 6
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear policies and procedures in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Music, languages, sports, arts, reading ambassador programme, sports leaders activities
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy is a happy, inclusive primary school where pupils enjoy learning and form strong friendships. The school has a broad, ambitious curriculum and provides strong support for pupils with special educational needs.
At a Glance
27.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
30 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 60% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 63% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 53% to 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.1
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- Beyond the Physical Ltd - SpaldingAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lincolnshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy is in Lincolnshire; for families living there:
Apply to Lincolnshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 39
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 33 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
9 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 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 Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Will you get a place at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lincolnshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lincolnshire 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
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Spalding
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Spalding
Across Lincolnshire council
Places available
8,940
Applications
6,453
Got 1st preference
96.3%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Lincolnshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
15.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
204
Total Pupils
107
Boys
97
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,502
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,445
Per pupil
£1259k
Total funding
£64k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
7.5%
Persistent absence
186
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 Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Classes at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy average 29.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy has around 204 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
4.9% of sessions were missed at St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy in 2024/25. 7.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy 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 Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Beyond the Physical Ltd - Spalding (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 St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 33 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 9 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy?
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Tollgate, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 1NJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)