Heartsease Primary Academy

Heartsease Primary Academy has been rated as good overall, demonstrating solid progress since its previous outstanding inspection. Notable strengths include a strong emphasis on fostering independence and respect among pupils, alongside an ambitious curriculum that promotes effective learning from early years to Year 6. The school excels in creating a positive learning environment where pupils feel safe and happy, as well as engaging them in a broad array of extracurricular activities that support personal development.

Strengths

• Pupils display good behaviour and mutual respect.
• Effective phonics instruction enables pupils to become fluent readers.
• Wide range of extracurricular activities enhances pupils' interests.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND ensures inclusivity.
• Leaders prioritize staff development and workload management.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few foundation subjects, curriculum plans are still under development.
• Some pupils exhibit derogatory language, indicating ongoing behavioural concerns.

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 Heartsease Primary Academy attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.8% 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, 4.1% of pupils at Heartsease Primary Academy 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 Heartsease Primary Academy had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.6% 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, 12.8% of pupils at Heartsease Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 Heartsease Primary Academy received £7,721 and spent £8,631 for each of its 412 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £126,000 (£305 per pupil).

Across all 39 schools of Unity Schools Partnership, income was £8,494 and spending £8,500 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

Heartsease Primary Academy is part of Unity Schools Partnership, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Colman Infant School Norwich
• Colman Junior School Norwich
• Henderson Green Primary Academy Norwich
• Valley Primary Academy Norwich
• Lingwood Primary Academy Lingwood
• Robert Kett Primary School Wymondham
• Silfield Oak Primary Academy Wymondham
• Breckland School Brandon
• Sir Peter Hall School Bury St. Edmunds
• Sybil Andrews Academy Bury St. Edmunds

What is Heartsease Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Heartsease Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Heartsease Primary Academy was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Heartsease Primary Academy have?

Heartsease Primary Academy has 398 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heartsease Primary Academy cover?

Heartsease Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Heartsease Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Heartsease Primary Academy?

Heartsease Primary Academy is at Rider Haggard Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 9UE.