The Nicholas Hamond Academy, Swaffham

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades The Nicholas Hamond Academy on 6 areas: 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place effective systems to monitor and support attendance."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place effective systems to help pupils thrive."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "There was disruption to the leadership of the school after the pandemic."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place a coherent programme for personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement in national assessments is low."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of teaching is inconsistent."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers make effective checks on how well pupils understand and remember their learning, so that pupils progress more securely through the curriculum"; "Leaders should make sure that the delivery of the curriculum is successful at addressing gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, especially in writing"; "Leaders should continue their work on raising attendance so that pupils do not miss valuable learning".

In 2026, pupils at The Nicholas Hamond Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.

38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.

That is up from 38.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.55: pupils made well 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 41.9, against 44.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 2.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Hospitality and Catering.

For September 2026 entry, 154 families put The Nicholas Hamond Academy as their first choice and 185 named it as one of their preferences, for 154 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The Nicholas Hamond Academy is one of 21 schools run by Academy Transformation Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40 in 2024/25.

107 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Nicholas Hamond Academy (as of April 2026): 71% would recommend the school, 73% say their child is happy there and 42% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (73%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (42%).

Of the 140 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 66% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

7.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Nicholas Hamond Academy.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Nicholas Hamond Academy (adjacent), 100 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 54 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Norfolk (28), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Nicholas Hamond Academy issued 209 suspensions, 30.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Nicholas Hamond Academy are Swaffham CofE Primary Academy (under 0.1 miles), Heartwood CofE VC Primary & Nursery School (0.4 miles) and Swaffham Meadow Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.