Sprowston Infant School
Sprowston Infant School is a community school in Norwich for pupils aged 4 to 7. It has 111 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Sprowston Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025. It has more teachers for its size than most primary schools: 12.6 pupils for each teacher in 2025/26, against 20.7 nationally.
Ofsted inspection: June 2025.
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 4-7 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Recreation Ground Road Sprowston Recreation Ground Rd Norwich Norfolk NR7 8EW |
| Reference Number | 120853 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 111 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 57.66%
Girls: 42.34% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 26.1% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 18.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 15.9 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 18.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 14 | 34 |
| 2 | 23 | 16 | 39 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 75.7% |
| White, Other | 8.1% |
| African | 5.4% |
| White & Black (African) | 2.7% |
| White & Asian | 1.8% |
| Unclassified | 1.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.9% |
| Asian, Other | 0.9% |
Sprowston Infant School is performing well, achieving a 'Good' overall effectiveness rating. It is characterized as a welcoming environment where pupils feel included and valued. The staff are dedicated to ensuring that all students succeed and there is a strong emphasis on a positive culture of reading, which contributes to pupils' enjoyment of learning. However, there are areas identified for improvement, particularly regarding staff training in managing challenging behavior and inconsistencies in curriculum planning across some subjects.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Early Years Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 13 May 2025 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 13 May 2025 | School inspection |
| 12 Feb 2020 | School inspection: |
| 31 Jan 2019 | Short inspection |
| 09 Jul 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 15 Jan 2013 | Interim assessment |
| 27 Apr 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 09 Jan 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 16 Sep 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Strong culture of reading with engaging activities like the Reading Café
- Dedicated staff who care deeply about pupils' well-being and success
- Pupils of all abilities thrive, supported by a wide range of enrichment activities
- Good quality early years provision with a focus on individual interests
- Robust safeguarding practices ensuring pupil safety and well-being
Areas for Improvement
- Insufficient training for staff to manage challenging behavior effectively
- Inconsistent sequencing in curriculum plans across some subjects
- Books provided to some lowest attaining pupils do not match their learning needs
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 16 | 1 |
| Third Preference | 32 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Sprowston Infant School had 125 pupils for 157 places. 32 places (20.4%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Sprowston Primary Phase” planning area
Norfolk counted 309 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 276 in 2029–30, down 11%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 157 |
| Pupils | 141 | 160 | 164 | 174 | 171 | 177 | 187 | 183 | 181 | 166 | 141 | 133 | 143 | 127 | 125 |
| Unfilled | 19.9% | 9.1% | 6.8% | 1.1% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.7% | 19.9% | 24.4% | 18.8% | 27.8% | 20.4% |
Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.
In 2024–25 pupils at Sprowston Infant School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.3% | 3.9% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 4.1% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| Unauthorised absence | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 2.0% |
| Severely absent pupils | 1.7% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 1.1% |
Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.
In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Sprowston Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.
In 2025–26 Sprowston Infant School had 12.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 10.5 | 9.6 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 5.2 | 4.5 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 14.6% | 2.3% | 0.0% | 16.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 13.5% | 0.0% | 3.3% | 6.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 62.5% | 62.5% | 62.5% | 36.4% | 60.0% | 36.4% | 27.3% | 60.0% | 45.5% | – | 23.1% | 50.0% | 60.0% | 72.7% | 54.5% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 3.0 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 15.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | – | 0.7 | 1.3 | 12.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | – |
Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.
In 2025–26, 14.4% of pupils at Sprowston Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 24.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
The school has a SEN unit with 25 pupils.
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 1 | 25 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 6 | 1 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 5 | 0 |
| Hearing impairment | 2 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 1 | 1 |
| Physical disability | 1 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2025–26 Sprowston Infant School received £14,588 and spent £14,414 for each of its 111 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £220,000 (£1,984 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £115,000 | £144,000 | £178,000 | £181,000 | £150,000 | £241,000 | £201,000 | £220,000 |
| per pupil | £684 | £973 | £1,288 | £1,349 | £1,010 | £1,801 | £1,551 | £1,984 |
| In-year balance | £38,000 | £29,000 | £34,000 | £3,000 | -£31,000 | £91,000 | -£40,000 | £19,000 |
| per pupil | £227 | £197 | £244 | £23 | -£208 | £683 | -£312 | £174 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
Sprowston Junior School
Recreation Ground Road, Sprowston, Sprowston Junior School, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8EW |
0 miles |
|
Sparhawk Infant School & Nursery
Sparhawk Avenue, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8BU |
0.49 miles |
|
Cecil Gowing Infant School
Falcon Road West, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8NZ |
0.51 miles |
|
Falcon Junior School
Falcon Road West, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8NT |
0.59 miles |
|
White Woman Lane Junior School
White Woman Lane, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 7JA |
0.72 miles |
|
Old Catton CofE VC Junior School
Church Street, Old Catton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 7DS |
0.74 miles |
|
St. Clements Hill Primary Academy
50 Le Safferne Gardens, Norwich, NR3 4AR |
0.78 miles |
|
Garrick Green Infant School
Garrick Green, Old Catton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 7AL |
0.96 miles |
|
White House Farm
Mallard Way, Norwich, NR7 8DN |
1 miles |
|
Lodge Lane Infant School
Lodge Lane, Old Catton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 7HL |
1 miles |
|
Mousehold Infant & Nursery School
Mousehold Avenue, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 4RS |
1.13 miles |
|
George White Junior School
Silver Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 4RG |
1.17 miles |
|
Heartsease Primary Academy
Rider Haggard Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 9UE |
1.17 miles |
|
Catton Grove Primary School
Weston Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 3TP |
1.35 miles |
|
Angel Road Junior School
Angel Road, 81 Angel Road, Norwich, NR3 3HR |
1.38 miles |
|
Angel Road Infant School
Angel Road, 81 Angel Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 3HR |
1.38 miles |
|
Magdalen Gates Primary School
Bull Close Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 1NG |
1.43 miles |
|
Include School Norfolk
27 Hurricane Way, Airport Industrial Estate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6HE |
1.45 miles |
|
St William's Primary School
Williams Loke, Thorpe St Andrew, St. William's Primary School, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0AJ |
1.6 miles |
|
Lionwood Junior School
Wolfe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 4HT |
1.62 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Sprowston Community Academy
Cannerby Lane, Sprowston, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8NE |
0.44 miles |
|
The Open Academy
Salhouse Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 9DL |
0.89 miles |
|
Hall School
St Faith's Road, Old Catton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 7AD |
1 miles |
|
Sewell Park Academy
St Clement's Hill, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 4BX |
1.02 miles |
|
Norwich School
71A The Close, Norwich, NR1 4DD |
1.9 miles |
|
Jane Austen College
46-48 Colegate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 1DD |
1.9 miles |
|
Nurture Education Trust
289 Drayton Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 2PW |
2.05 miles |
|
Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form
Laundry Lane, Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 0XS |
2.14 miles |
|
Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form Free School
The Old Fire Station, 30 Bethel Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1NR |
2.23 miles |
|
Red Balloon Educational Trust-Norfolk
76 Earlham Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 3DF |
2.46 miles |
|
Notre Dame High School, Norwich
Surrey Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 3PB |
2.46 miles |
|
Hellesdon High School
187 Middletons Lane, Hellesdon, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 5SB |
2.55 miles |
|
The Parkside School, Norwich
College Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 3JA |
2.77 miles |
|
Norwich Steiner School
Hospital Lane, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 2HW |
2.8 miles |
|
Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education
Ipswich Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 2LJ |
2.93 miles |
|
Town Close Co-Educational Preparatory School
14 Ipswich Road, Norwich, NR2 2LR |
2.97 miles |
|
Norwich High School for Girls GDST
|
3.12 miles |
|
Hewett Academy
Cecil Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 2PL |
3.16 miles |
|
The Wherry School
280 Hall Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 2GB |
3.26 miles |
|
Harford Manor School, Norwich
43 Ipswich Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 2LN |
3.3 miles |
All schools in Norwich · Norfolk local authority: places and applications
What is Sprowston Infant School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Sprowston Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.
When was Sprowston Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?
Sprowston Infant School was last inspected in June 2025.
How many pupils does Sprowston Infant School have?
Sprowston Infant School has 111 pupils on roll.
What age range does Sprowston Infant School cover?
Sprowston Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.
Where is Sprowston Infant School?
Sprowston Infant School is at Recreation Ground Road, Sprowston, Recreation Ground Rd, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 8EW.