Costessey Primary School

Costessey Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in several areas, with 'Outstanding' leadership in personal development. The school cultivates an enjoyable learning environment where pupils are engaged and show respect for each other. They participate in various responsibilities that promote personal growth and a sense of community. The school has been successful in creating a well-structured curriculum that builds solid foundations for students, particularly in reading and core subjects. However, as this is the first routine inspection since the pandemic, leaders are still working on refining assessment strategies in foundation subjects to ensure a comprehensive view of pupil progress.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a well-crafted and engaging curriculum
• Strong focus on individual needs, especially for SEND pupils
• High-quality personal development programme supports character development
• Positive behaviour and mutual respect among pupils
• Effective safeguarding measures are in place
• Strong subject knowledge among teachers

Areas for Improvement

• Leaders need to improve assessment strategies in foundation subjects

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 Costessey Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 1.0% of pupils at Costessey Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Costessey Primary School had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 15.9% of pupils at Costessey Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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

In 2024–25 Costessey Primary School received £5,939 and spent £6,377 for each of its 566 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £522,000 (£923 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Evolution Academy Trust, income was £6,922 and spending £7,234 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

Costessey Primary School is part of Evolution Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Wensum Junior School Norwich
• Nelson Infant School Norwich
• Angel Road Infant School Norwich
• Angel Road Junior School Norwich
• Bignold Primary School and Nursery Norwich
• Eaton Primary School Norwich
• Filby Primary School Great Yarmouth
• Dell Primary School Lowestoft
• Elm Tree Primary School Lowestoft
• Poplars Community Primary School Lowestoft

What is Costessey Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Costessey Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Costessey Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Costessey Primary School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Costessey Primary School have?

Costessey Primary School has 559 pupils on roll.

What age range does Costessey Primary School cover?

Costessey Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Costessey Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Costessey Primary School?

Costessey Primary School is at Three Mile Lane, Costessey, Norwich, Norfolk, NR5 0RR.