The Thetford Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 11-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Croxton Road Thetford Norfolk IP24 1LH |
| Phone | 01842754875 |
| Reference Number | 136204 |
The Thetford Academy is performing well overall, receiving a 'Good' rating across several key areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Students express a positive experience at the school, with high expectations for behaviour leading to a conducive learning environment. Notably, there are strong curricular components, particularly in mathematics and languages, where students have shown impressive progress. However, there are challenges in the sixth-form provision, where students' achievements are not consistently meeting expectations. The training for staff on supporting special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has recently begun and needs further development to become effective throughout the school.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1361 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.6%
Girls: 50.4% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 30.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 31.3% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 22 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 147 | 148 | 295 |
| 8 | 132 | 146 | 278 |
| 9 | 140 | 125 | 265 |
| 10 | 95 | 98 | 193 |
| 11 | 122 | 116 | 238 |
| 12 | 21 | 25 | 46 |
| 13 | 18 | 28 | 46 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 64.3% |
| White, Other | 25.4% |
| White & Black (African) | 2% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.7% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.4% |
| White & Asian | 1% |
| African | 0.7% |
| Unclassified | 0.4% |
| Asian, Other | 0.4% |
| Indian | 0.3% |
| Pakistani | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.1% |
| Caribbean | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Sixth Form Provision | Requires Improvement |
| Last Report Date | 04 Mar 2020 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 01 Apr 2025 | School inspection |
| 04 Mar 2020 | School inspection: |
| 28 Nov 2018 | Short inspection |
| 04 Dec 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 01 Jul 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 11 Mar 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 15 Oct 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 01 May 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 12 Feb 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 23 Jan 2012 | Monitoring visit |
Strengths
- Students enjoy a wide range of extracurricular activities, including music and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
- Pupils feel valued and cared for by staff, who are responsive to their needs.
- High expectations of behaviour have improved classroom learning experiences.
- Curriculum planning effectively deepens students' knowledge and understanding.
- Strong performance in mathematics and science, with students achieving in the top 20% nationally.
- Pupils demonstrate good reading progress, particularly those needing additional support.
- Reduced incidents of poor behaviour and improved attendance due to effective leadership.
- Strong safeguarding practices ensure pupil safety.
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent support for students with SEND due to recent training that needs further implementation.
- Achievement levels in the sixth form are not consistently high, necessitating improved curriculum planning and delivery.
- Attendance issues remain a significant concern, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
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) |
|---|---|---|
| 42.4 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 41.6% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 54.2% |
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:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 35.75 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 39.3 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | B- | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | B | C+ | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 31.6% |
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 21 | 6 |
| Third Preference | 11 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 9 | 4 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Drake Primary School
Fairfields, Croxton Road, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 1JW |
0.41 miles |
|
Admirals Academy
Admirals Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2JT |
0.42 miles |
|
Raleigh Infant Academy
Admirals Way, Thetford, IP24 2JT |
0.42 miles |
|
Norwich Road Academy
Norwich Road, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2HT |
0.84 miles |
|
The Bishop's Church of England Primary Academy
Canterbury Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 1EB |
1.15 miles |
|
Redcastle Family School
St Martin's Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 3PU |
1.42 miles |
|
Queensway Junior Academy
Hillary Road, Thetford, IP24 3DP |
1.53 miles |
|
Queensway Infant Academy
Queensway, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 3DR |
1.58 miles |
|
Barnham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Mill Lane, Barnham, Nr Thetford, Suffolk, IP24 2NG |
3.52 miles |
|
Elveden Church of England Primary Academy
London Road, Elveden, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 3TN |
4.9 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Thetford Grammar School
|
1.09 miles |
|
The Damara School
The Maltings, Raymond Street, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2EA |
1.1 miles |
|
Compass Community School Eld Park
Canterbury Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 1EF |
1.16 miles |