Chapel Green School

Chapel Green School provides an exceptional standard of education and support for pupils with a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities. The school, a foundation special school, has grown significantly since its previous inspection and now educates 178 pupils aged 3 to 19, including 16 in the sixth form. All pupils have education, health and care plans, and the school has successfully embedded an ambitious curriculum with distinct pathways matched to pupils' developmental stages. Staff build extremely positive relationships, know pupils well and set high expectations, helping pupils to communicate, learn and become more independent. Behaviour and personal development are particular strengths: pupils are generally calm, respectful and engaged, and they benefit from strong careers advice, work experience, community trips and enrichment activities such as 'flourish Friday'. Leadership and governance are highly effective, with leaders and governors showing a relentless drive for improvement and staff feeling well supported. Safeguarding is effective, and sixth-form provision is effective in preparing older pupils for their next steps.

Strengths

• Exceptional standard of education and support for pupils with a wide range of SEND
• Extremely positive relationships between staff and pupils, with staff knowing pupils' needs very well
• Ambitious, well-embedded curriculum tailored to pupils' EHC plans and developmental pathways
• High expectations with learning activities usually matched precisely to pupils' starting points
• Effective phonics and reading instruction matched to pupils' individual needs
• Pupils develop excellent behavioural habits and are calm, respectful and engaged
• Outstanding personal development with a strong focus on independence and life skills
• High-quality careers advice and meaningful work experience, including community volunteering
• Wide range of enrichment activities, trips and 'flourish Friday' options that build confidence
• Leaders and governors show a relentless drive for improvement, and staff feel well supported
• Effective safeguarding arrangements that put pupils' interests first
• Sixth-form provision prepares older pupils well for their next steps

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching is not always adapted precisely enough to individual pupils' needs, so some work is not as closely matched to starting points as it could be

In 2024–25 pupils at Chapel Green School attended 90.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 25.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 3.9% of pupils at Chapel Green School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 Chapel Green School had 6.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Chapel Green School had 199 pupils, 99.5% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Chapel Green School received £28,379 and spent £27,804 for each of its 199 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £202,000 (£1,014 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 Breckland · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Chapel Green School is part of Trust Norfolk-Sen, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• The Clare School Norwich
• Harford Manor School, Norwich Norwich
• Hall School Norwich
• Sheringham Woodfields School Sheringham
• Sidestrand Hall School Cromer

What is Chapel Green School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chapel Green School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Chapel Green School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chapel Green School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Chapel Green School have?

Chapel Green School has 199 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chapel Green School cover?

Chapel Green School for pupils aged 3 to 19.

What are Chapel Green School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Chapel Green School?

Chapel Green School is at Attleborough Road, Old Buckenham, Norfolk, NR17 1RF.