The Open Academy

Type Secondary / Academy sponsor led
Age Range 11-19
Religion Church of England
Address Salhouse Road
Norwich
Norfolk
NR7 9DL
Phone 01603481640
Reference Number 135650

The Open Academy has made significant improvements since its previous inspection, moving from an inadequate rating to 'good' across all evaluated domains. The school has successfully raised expectations for student behavior and attendance, resulting in a more positive school environment. Leadership is effective in promoting inclusive practices, and there is a strong focus on supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Pupils report feeling safer and more supported, and their engagement in both curricular and extracurricular activities is commendable. The academy's curriculum is well-planned and carefully sequenced, helping students build on prior knowledge. While most pupils are making steady progress, a small number still struggle to meet behavioral expectations, which can interfere with their learning experience. Leadership is currently working to address these ongoing concerns to ensure that improvements are sustained and that every pupil can benefit from high-quality education and support.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 560
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 50.89%
Girls: 49.11%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 39.4%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 13.2%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 21.3

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 53 57 110
8 57 49 106
9 57 51 108
10 41 44 85
11 57 52 109
12 5 11 16
13 15 10 25

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 76.4%
White, Other 7.9%
Unclassified 3.2%
African 2.9%
Mixed, Other 1.8%
White & Asian 1.6%
White & Black (African) 1.4%
White & Black (Caribbean) 1.1%
Caribbean 0.4%
Indian 0.2%
Asian, Other 0.2%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Sixth Form Provision Good
Last Report Date 28 Mar 2023
Date Report
28 Mar 2023 Full inspection:
21 Jun 2022 School inspection:
06 Nov 2018 Full inspection:
23 Apr 2015 Full inspection:
28 Jan 2015 Curriculum and development visit
12 Jun 2013 Full inspection:
06 Dec 2011 Full inspection:
16 Jun 2011 Monitoring visit
17 Nov 2010 Full inspection:
04 Nov 2009 Monitoring visit

Strengths

  • Inclusive school culture supporting pupils of all abilities.
  • Improved behavior and attendance with clear expectations.
  • Well-planned curriculum building on prior knowledge.
  • Strong support for pupils with SEND.
  • Engagement in extracurricular activities enhances learning.
  • Effective safeguarding procedures and staff training.

Areas for Improvement

  • A small number of pupils still do not consistently meet behavior expectations.
  • Some pupils miss learning due to absences from lessons.

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
36.7

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 34.6%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 36.5%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

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GCSE Results

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Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 17.5
Average Points (best 3) 16.97

Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade D- C+ C+
Average Grade (best 3) D- C+ C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 0%
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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 66 3
Third Preference 46 0
From another Local Authority 1 0

Previous Years

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Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

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