Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School

Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School is continuing to provide a good education for its pupils, characterized by a nurturing and supportive environment. Students are making good progress and displaying enthusiasm for their learning, particularly through the school’s unique curriculum that emphasizes reading and independent learning skills. The school's approach successfully integrates British values, promotes understanding of different faiths, and fosters a sense of community among students. Feedback from parents indicates high satisfaction with the school’s provision and support for their children. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in subject depth and teacher confidence in certain subjects like languages and music. While the curriculum is broad and well-structured, inconsistencies in teachers' subject knowledge could impact students' deeper understanding in these areas. Overall, Hillcrest remains committed to refining its educational practices and ensuring all pupils achieve their full potential.

Strengths

• Nurturing and welcoming school environment
• Strong emphasis on reading and independent learning skills
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Strong personal, social, health, and economic education programme
• High levels of pupil engagement in community activities and clubs
• Positive behaviour and high expectations established throughout the school

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent subject knowledge among some teachers in languages and music
• Need for enhanced support and guidance for teachers to improve subject understanding

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 Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.9% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were 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 Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.1% 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, 9.4% of pupils at Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School received £7,047 and spent £7,139 for each of its 404 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £359,000 (£888 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 Downham Market · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

What is Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School have?

Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School has 404 pupils on roll.

What age range does Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School cover?

Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School?

Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School is at Hillcrest, Bexwell Road, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9ND.