West Earlham Junior School

West Earlham Junior School is performing well, having maintained the standards identified in its previous inspection. The curriculum is well-planned and ambitious, encouraging pupils to engage deeply with their learning. Notable strengths include the development of oracy skills and the inclusive approach to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Pupils are happy, show pride in their work, and benefit from extracurricular activities that enhance their educational experience.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a well-planned and ambitious curriculum.
• There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ oracy skills.
• Pupils demonstrate good progress in their learning.
• Reading is prioritized, with pupils engaging with a rich variety of texts.
• The school offers a range of extracurricular activities that enrich learning.
• Pupils with SEND are included and supported effectively.
• Strong leadership and governance support both staff and students.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in curriculum implementation across some subjects.
• Need for further strengthening in how knowledge is retained over time.

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 West Earlham Junior School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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, 10.0% of pupils at West Earlham Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

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 West Earlham Junior School had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 26.8% of pupils at West Earlham Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 West Earlham Junior School received £8,573 and spent £8,240 for each of its 239 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £9,000 (-£36 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Norwich · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

What is West Earlham Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Earlham Junior School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was West Earlham Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

West Earlham Junior School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does West Earlham Junior School have?

West Earlham Junior School has 239 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Earlham Junior School cover?

West Earlham Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are West Earlham Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is West Earlham Junior School?

West Earlham Junior School is at Scarnell Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR5 8HT.