Drake Primary School

Drake Primary School is performing at a strong standard overall, with notable strengths in early years education and personal development. The nurturing environment created by staff allows children to feel safe and supported as they build strong relationships, ensuring impressive progress, particularly in phonics and language skills. However, there are areas that require attention, particularly in key stage 1 and key stage 2, where pupils' progress is variable, and attainment in writing and mathematics is below national averages. The school's commitment to inclusion is commendable, especially in its specially resourced provision for pupils with autism, ensuring a tailored educational experience for all learners.

Strengths

• Highly nurturing environment in early years
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Well-designed curriculum that prepares children for key stage 1
• Effective phonics instruction leading to strong progress
• Exceptional personal development program promoting diversity and inclusion
• Wide range of extracurricular opportunities for pupils
• Effective pastoral support tailored to individual needs

Areas for Improvement

• Variable progress in key stage 1 and key stage 2
• Concerns with curriculum delivery in mathematics and writing
• Inconsistencies in teaching quality across some subjects
• Pupils' attainment in national assessments is below average

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 Drake Primary School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.8% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Drake Primary 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 Drake Primary School had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.0% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Drake Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 14 pupils.

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 Drake Primary School received £9,234 and spent £9,850 for each of its 413 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £645,000 (-£1,563 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 Thetford · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

What is Drake Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Drake Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Drake Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Drake Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Drake Primary School have?

Drake Primary School has 413 pupils on roll.

What age range does Drake Primary School cover?

Drake Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Drake Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 40% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Drake Primary School?

Drake Primary School is at Fairfields, Croxton Road, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 1JW.