Wayland Academy, Thetford
Wayland Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Thetford, part of Inspiration Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 7th-highest of the 53 schools in Norfolk with published results, and 960th of 3,298 across England. It was 78% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Norfolk (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Wayland Academy in detail
Wayland Academy in its own words
In its own words: "At Wayland Academy, we proudly work together to have a positive impact on each other, our happiness, our grades and our lives. We are delighted this ethos was seen by Ofsted during our inspection in July 2023 in which we were rated as 'Good' in all four categories."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am proud to be the Principal of Wayland Academy, judged as 'good' by Ofsted in 2023 and continuing to move from strength to strength. Mine, and the shared vision of staff and students is for our small community school to be 'Leading the Way' in curriculum, character and the community."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Wayland Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Norfolk and 47 across England.
61% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Norfolk and 47% in England.
That is down from 52 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.61: pupils made well above 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 42.9, against 52.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at Wayland Academy
For September 2026 entry, 140 families put Wayland Academy as their first choice and 167 named it as one of their preferences, for 137 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
The trust
Wayland Academy is one of 18 schools run by Inspiration Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.5 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 106 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 52 pupils (9.2%) received SEN support and 24 (4.3%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Wayland Academy.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wayland High School (adjacent), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Wayland Academy issued 94 suspensions, 17.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Wayland Academy are Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery School (0.2 miles), Watton Junior School (0.4 miles) and Parker's Church of England Primary Academy (1.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery SchoolWatton Junior SchoolParker's Church of England Primary Academy
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 destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
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 July 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
27.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.28 to 0.61 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 44.7 to 50.2 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 49% to 61% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 50.2 | 60.6% |
| Disadvantaged(22) | - | 42.9 | 45.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(77) | - | 52.3 | 64.9% |
| Boys(50) | - | 44.8 | 52% |
| Girls(49) | - | 55.7 | 69.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(22) | - | 52.3 | 63.6% |
| Non mobile(95) | - | 50.1 | 61.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 106 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.18%
Exclusion rate
94
Suspensions
17.15%
Suspension rate
36 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 548 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Latest from Wayland Academy
Wayland Academy Celebrates Exceptional GCSE Results
20 Aug 2026
Wayland Academy wins Young Carers in Schools award
8 May 2026
Pupils' Generosity brings Joy to Local Care Home
18 Dec 2025
Pupils Attend the Norfolk Youth Against Bullying Conference
2 Dec 2025
SEND Support and Information Evening
20 Nov 2025
Remembrance Day 2025
14 Nov 2025
From Wayland Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Wayland Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Wayland Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Wayland Academy 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 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 Wayland Academy
Will you get a place at Wayland Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Wayland Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Wayland Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Wayland Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Norfolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Wayland Academy for 2014 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
78%
Available places
555 pupils
708 places
153 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
9,559
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
13.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
564
Total Pupils
282
Boys
282
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
17.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,637
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,207
Per pupil
£4214k
Total funding
£153k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
12.4%
Persistent absence
581
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Wayland Academy
What are GCSE results like at Wayland Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Wayland Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50.2. 61% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Wayland Academy's Ofsted rating?
Wayland Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Wayland Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Wayland Academy is oversubscribed, Norfolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Wayland Academy?
Wayland Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 708 places.
How big are the classes at Wayland Academy?
Classes at Wayland Academy average 28.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Wayland Academy?
Wayland Academy has around 564 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Wayland Academy?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Wayland Academy in 2024/25. 12.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Wayland Academy?
Apply through Norfolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Wayland Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Wayland Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 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 Wayland Academy?
Wayland Academy is at Merton Road, Watton, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6BA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)