Old Catton CofE VC Junior School

Old Catton CofE VC Junior School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. The positive environment is characterized by high expectations from staff and a nurturing atmosphere where pupils feel safe and supported in their learning journey. The curriculum is engaging and ambitious, facilitating strong knowledge acquisition across most subjects, especially in reading, which is highlighted as a particular strength. This inspection marks the first since the school's last graded evaluation in 2017, and it indicates that the school has built a positive reputation in the local community since then.

Strengths

• Creative and lively lessons that engage pupils.
• Strong working relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective curriculum design that fosters strong knowledge acquisition.
• Expert staff in reading who tailor lessons to individual needs.
• Good support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Pupils demonstrate good behaviour and understanding of right and wrong.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum expectations in some subjects are not fully clarified.

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 Old Catton CofE VC Junior School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.1% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Old Catton CofE VC Junior 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 Old Catton CofE VC Junior School had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 18.2% of pupils at Old Catton CofE VC Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Old Catton CofE VC Junior School received £7,297 and spent £7,231 for each of its 539 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £204,000 (£378 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 · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

What is Old Catton CofE VC Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Old Catton CofE VC Junior School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Old Catton CofE VC Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Old Catton CofE VC Junior School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Old Catton CofE VC Junior School have?

Old Catton CofE VC Junior School has 187 pupils on roll.

What age range does Old Catton CofE VC Junior School cover?

Old Catton CofE VC Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Old Catton CofE VC Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Old Catton CofE VC Junior School?

Old Catton CofE VC Junior School is at Church Street, Old Catton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 7DS.