The Pinetree School, Thetford
The Pinetree School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Thetford, part of Unity Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Pinetree School in detail
The Pinetree School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The school is part of Unity Education Trust, a Multi-Academy trust sponsoring mainstream, special and alternative provision academies from ages 3 to 19 in Norfolk since March 2017. Pinetree school is a co-educational school for 40 pupils KS3 & 4 from Y7-11 It is for pupils whose primary SEN is clearly identified as SEMH and have an EHCP."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at The Pinetree School
Across Norfolk, 94% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Norfolk lodged 170 appeals against secondary school offers; 102 reached a hearing and 39 succeeded (38.2% of those heard).
The trust
The Pinetree School is one of 15 schools run by Unity Education Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
73% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The Pinetree School has an education, health and care plan (37 of 37 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Thetford Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fulmerston Close (opposite), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Pinetree School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 171 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.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Pinetree School are Queensway Infant Academy (0.1 miles), Queensway Junior Academy (0.2 miles), Redcastle Family School (0.5 miles) and Norwich Road Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Queensway Infant AcademyQueensway Junior AcademyRedcastle Family SchoolNorwich Road Academy
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Personal development, Leadership & management.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
73.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Keep up with The Pinetree School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Pinetree School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Pinetree 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
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
37 pupils
40 places
3 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Thetford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Thetford
Across Norfolk council
Places available
9,559
Applications
8,625
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All secondary applications across Norfolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
37
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
37
Total Pupils
26
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
4.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,870
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Pinetree School
What is The Pinetree School's Ofsted rating?
The Pinetree School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for The Pinetree School?
No fixed boundary. When The Pinetree School is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Pinetree School?
The Pinetree School has around 37 pupils on roll. 73% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to The Pinetree School?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming The Pinetree School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Pinetree School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 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 The Pinetree School?
The Pinetree School is at Staniforth Road, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 3LH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)