St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery, Thetford
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Thetford, part of The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 17 schools in Thetford with published results, and 11,035th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- 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 Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery in detail
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, cross-country, yoga, dance, drama and forest school.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Norfolk and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 70% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery are Caston Church of England Primary Academy (2.5 miles, Good, 55% reading, 73% maths); Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery School (2.5 miles, Good); Watton Junior School (2.6 miles, 49% reading, 44% maths); and Parker's Church of England Primary Academy (3.1 miles, Good, 58% reading, 25% maths).
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Caston Church of England Primary AcademyWatton Westfield Infant and Nursery SchoolWatton Junior SchoolParker's Church of England Primary Academy
The trust
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery is one of 42 schools run by The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 42 schools in The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust
What parents say
49 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 94% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (92%).
Who goes there
10.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 25 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 12 (5.1%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bus Shelter (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery issued 3 suspensions, 1.3 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; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2019, 7 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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will feel genuinely cared for at this school - staff know pupils well and create warm, supportive relationships. The school offers exceptional learning experiences beyond the classroom, from learning in woodlands to residential trips and visits to heritage sites, which help build confidence and deepen knowledge. Pupils develop strong reading skills and achieve well, especially in reading and maths.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a happy, safe learning environment
- Excellent phonics teaching helps pupils develop confident reading skills
- Broad, enriching curriculum with extensive community links including woodland learning, local Millennium Green, and trips to Norwich Cathedral and London
- Very good pupil behaviour - pupils demonstrate the school's values of kindness, politeness and helpfulness
- Comprehensive wellbeing support including counselling, play therapy, and the school dog Willow
Areas for Improvement
- Grammar, punctuation, spelling and handwriting standards in pupils' writing need to be more consistently high across the school
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Woodland learning, residential trips, visits to Norwich Cathedral and London, circus visits, heritage centre visits, dance workshops, ninja workshops, CPR and first aid training
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection in 2019. Pupils start each day with enthusiasm, benefit from enriching experiences like woodland learning and residential trips, and achieve well especially in reading and mathematics.
At a Glance
10.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
49 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 remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 70% to 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.3
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2 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 Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery
Before and after school care
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery 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
You apply to the council where you live. St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery
Will you get a place at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery for 2016 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
91%
Near capacity
191 pupils
210 places
19 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Thetford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Thetford
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(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
234
Total Pupils
100
Boys
134
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
26.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,416
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,364
Per pupil
£1174k
Total funding
£48k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
13.6%
Persistent absence
176
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery
What are SATs results like at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
Of the pupils at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery's Ofsted rating?
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery 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 Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
Classes at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery average 29.3 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery has around 234 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
5% of sessions were missed at St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery in 2024/25. 13.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery 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 Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery 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 St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Norfolk is 4 (the median across 462 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery?
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery is at Church Street, Carbrooke, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6SW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)