Hethersett Academy

Hethersett Academy continues to demonstrate outstanding performance across all areas, excelling in pupil engagement and achievement. The school's culture promotes respect, punctuality, and a strong work ethic, creating an environment where bullying is rare and promptly addressed when it occurs. Pupils appreciate the opportunity to contribute ideas for school improvement and are highly involved in various extracurricular activities, which illustrates the school's commitment to holistic development. With high parent satisfaction and ongoing growth, the school serves a vital educational role in the community, being oversubscribed despite having recently doubled in size.

Strengths

• Pupils have high expectations of their own and others’ behaviour.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and adapted effectively for pupils.
• Pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well.
• Leaders provide well-planned career advice and activities for pupils.
• The safeguarding culture is thorough and robust.
• Staff and pupils have high expectations of behaviour and learning.

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 Hethersett Academy attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.1% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Hethersett Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Hethersett Academy had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Hethersett Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% 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 Hethersett Academy received £7,775 and spent £7,766 for each of its 1,210 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £491,000 (£405 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Inspiration Trust, income was £8,318 and spending £8,382 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

Hethersett Academy is part of Inspiration Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Cringleford Prep Cringleford
• Norwich Primary Academy Norwich
• Hewett Academy Norwich
• Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form Free School Norwich
• Jane Austen College Norwich
• Charles Darwin Primary School Norwich
• Wayland Academy Thetford
• The Thetford Academy Thetford
• Cobholm Primary Academy Great Yarmouth
• Queensway Junior Academy Thetford

What is Hethersett Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hethersett Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Hethersett Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Hethersett Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Hethersett Academy have?

Hethersett Academy has 1,250 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hethersett Academy cover?

Hethersett Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Hethersett Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.5, and 71% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Hethersett Academy?

Hethersett Academy is at Queen's Road, Hethersett, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 3DB.