City Academy Norwich

City Academy Norwich is currently rated as requiring improvement in several key areas, including the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, and personal development. However, the leadership and management of the school have been recognized as strong, reflecting significant progress since its last inspection. Staff are working hard to implement higher expectations and a new curriculum, which aims to provide a more enriching educational experience for students. Although there have been positive changes noted by pupils and improved behavior observed, challenges remain in areas such as attendance and examination performance.

Strengths

• Improving support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Positive changes in school culture and increased staff expectations.
• Effective pastoral support that helps pupils feel safe and valued.
• High-quality careers education and personal development programme.

Areas for Improvement

• High suspension rates affecting learning opportunities.
• Attendance levels are lower than expected, impacting pupil progress.
• Inconsistencies in the implementation of the new curriculum.

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 City Academy Norwich attended 88.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 19.2% of pupils at City Academy Norwich were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 City Academy Norwich had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 25.8% of pupils at City Academy Norwich were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 8.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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

In 2024–25 City Academy Norwich received £10,468 and spent £10,439 for each of its 682 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £340,000 (£499 per pupil).

Across all 23 schools of Sapientia Education Trust, income was £8,533 and spending £8,510 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

City Academy Norwich is part of Sapientia Education Trust, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Ghost Hill Infant and Nursery School Norwich
• White House Farm Norwich
• Framingham Earl High School Norwich
• Surlingham Primary School Norwich
• Rockland St Mary Primary School Main Office
• Seething and Mundham Primary School Norwich
• Wymondham College Wymondham
• Wymondham College Prep School Wymondham
• Attleborough Primary School Attleborough
• Attleborough Academy Attleborough

What is City Academy Norwich's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for City Academy Norwich is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was City Academy Norwich last inspected by Ofsted?

City Academy Norwich was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does City Academy Norwich have?

City Academy Norwich has 674 pupils on roll.

What age range does City Academy Norwich cover?

City Academy Norwich for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are City Academy Norwich's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.2, and 25% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is City Academy Norwich?

City Academy Norwich is at 299 Bluebell Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7LP.