Norwich Primary Academy rated as good by Ofsted

Norwich Primary Academy has been rated as good by Ofsted. The report describes pupils as ‘spirited, enthusiastic and polite’ and celebrates the curriculum ‘helping pupils to read well, build knowledge and have meaningful experiences’.

We have been working hard to make sure our students enjoy reading - and now we're seeing the rewards. Ofsted found that reading has improved significantly over the last year, saying that pupils are inspired to ‘love reading’.

Ofsted said: ‘In Reception, children are introduced to exciting books and a wide range of vocabulary. This continues throughout the school. The teaching of phonics ensures that pupils learn to read well and catch up quickly if needed.’

We recently celebrated our best ever phonics results, with pupils achieving an 83% pass rate compared to the Norfolk average of 80%.

Rebecca Handley Kirk, headteacher, said: “Our children are thriving and I’m pleased the hard work of our pupils, teachers and parents is being recognised.

“A really important part of the report, for me, is that our pupils say that they feel safe, are well looked after and that we show respect to one another.

“2019 was an incredible year for our school. The Times gave our children a glowing review for their performance at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival; we had our first ever Arts Week which was opened by the Lord Mayor or Norwich; and of course our phonics results. The feedback from Ofsted is a great way to start the new year.”

We were rated as good across all areas.

Dame Rachel de Souza, Chief Executive of the Inspiration Trust, said: “Our schools are places where children are given the skills and encouragement to succeed. We are committed to giving our pupils a rich and ambitious curriculum.

We develop our teachers so that they are specialists in their subject areas. I’m proud to see the collaboration between Norwich Primary Academy’s teachers and the trust’s curriculum specialists is making a real difference to our children’s learning.”