Notre Dame High School, Norwich

Notre Dame High School has shown a good level of performance in its latest inspection, following a previous outstanding grading over a decade ago. The school's community thrives with a culture of care, respect, and engagement, which is reflected in students' positive experiences and their well-rounded development. The curriculum is well-structured, facilitating strong academic performance, and staff are well-equipped to deliver this effectively. However, while personal development receives high praise, there are some inconsistencies in meeting the needs of students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Overall, the school is progressing well and maintaining a strong educational environment for its pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending the school and report positively on their experiences.
• The school supports a broad and well-structured curriculum that promotes long-term knowledge retention.
• High-quality professional development opportunities are available for staff.
• Pupils show positive attitudes towards their studies and behavior throughout the school.
• The personal development provision is exceptional, fostering strong relationships and character building among students.
• The school has effective safeguarding arrangements in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in meeting the specific needs of a small number of pupils with SEND.

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 Notre Dame High School, Norwich attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 11.5% 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, 2.7% of pupils at Notre Dame High School, Norwich were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Notre Dame High School, Norwich had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.1% 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, 8.1% of pupils at Notre Dame High School, Norwich were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% 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 Notre Dame High School, Norwich received £7,477 and spent £7,057 for each of its 1,573 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,127,000 (£717 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,090 and spending £6,959 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

Notre Dame High School, Norwich is part of St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School Norwich
• St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Costessey Norwich
• St Edmund's RC Primary School and Nursery Bungay
• St Benet's RC Primary School and Nursery Beccles
• St Mary and St Peter Catholic Primary School Great Yarmouth
• St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School Lowestoft
• St Martha's Catholic Primary School King'S Lynn
• St Thomas More Catholic Primary School Peterborough
• St John Fisher Catholic High School Peterborough
• Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Peterborough

What is Notre Dame High School, Norwich's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Notre Dame High School, Norwich is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Notre Dame High School, Norwich last inspected by Ofsted?

Notre Dame High School, Norwich was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Notre Dame High School, Norwich have?

Notre Dame High School, Norwich has 1,613 pupils on roll.

What age range does Notre Dame High School, Norwich cover?

Notre Dame High School, Norwich for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Notre Dame High School, Norwich's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 57.0, and 64% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Notre Dame High School, Norwich?

Notre Dame High School, Norwich is at Surrey Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 3PB.