Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School

Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School is currently under significant scrutiny, having been identified as requiring special measures due to its inability to provide an acceptable standard of education. While the school has strengths in safeguarding, ensuring that pupils feel safe and respected, there are serious concerns regarding the overall quality of education, particularly in curriculum design and delivery. With a recent leadership change, the school is grappling with persistent issues such as gaps in pupils' knowledge and ineffective adaptation of the curriculum for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Effective safeguarding measures are in place, keeping students safe.
• Pupils generally behave well and have positive attitudes towards learning.
• Leaders track and improve attendance through tailored support.

Areas for Improvement

• The school requires urgent improvements in curriculum planning and teaching.
• Significant gaps in pupil knowledge persist, particularly in key areas.
• The early years curriculum lacks coherence, impeding children's development.

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 Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School attended 86.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 53.3% 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, 3.8% of pupils at Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England 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 Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 50.0% 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, 16.7% of pupils at Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.8% 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 Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School received £13,135 and spent £13,394 for each of its 77 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £17,000 (£218 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). This school files a single return with the other schools in its federation, so the figures are for the whole federation.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School have?

Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School has 42 pupils on roll.

What age range does Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School cover?

Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

Where is Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School?

Erpingham Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School is at School Road, Erpingham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR11 7QY.