Sewell Park Academy

Sewell Park Academy is a smaller-than-average secondary school in Norwich and part of Broad Horizons Education Trust. It serves a disadvantaged community, with above-average proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including a well-above-average proportion with EHC plans. The school has seen significant leadership change since its previous inspection, including a new CEO, deputy CEO, chair of trustees and chair of governors. Inspectors found most areas at the expected standard, with safeguarding met and achievement identified as needing attention. The school's strengths are substantial. Leaders have created a warm, inclusive and calm environment where pupils feel safe, behave well and are supported by strong relationships. Attendance and persistent absence have improved significantly because of robust, early intervention and work with families and agencies. The curriculum and teaching have improved, with effective foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, strong support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, and a well-planned personal development programme that includes wide enrichment, community activity and strong careers guidance. Leadership, governance and staff development are effective, and parents are very positive. However, achievement remains the key concern. National test and examination outcomes, including GCSE English and maths grade 5, Attainment 8, Progress 8 and destinations after key stage 4, are below national averages, although results are improving each year. Some pupils, especially those who join with higher starting points, are not consistently stretched or given enough opportunities to apply their knowledge, deepen learning and respond to feedback. Some pupils also lack confidence to contribute in lessons, and leaders have identified the need to build self-confidence and oracy. Overall absence remains above national average, even though it has improved.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where concerns are identified and managed.
• Leaders have created a warm, welcoming school where pupils are happy and feel safe.
• Attendance has improved significantly across key groups, and persistent absence has reduced significantly.
• Pupils behave well, lessons are calm, and bullying is rare and dealt with robustly.
• The school supports high numbers of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND/EHC plans very effectively.
• Curriculum and teaching have improved since the previous inspection, with more pupils making secure progress.
• Staff use well-chosen strategies, such as pre-teaching vocabulary, to reduce barriers to learning.
• Inclusive systems identify additional needs early and use pupil premium funding highly effectively.
• Personal development is well planned, with strong careers guidance and wide enrichment opportunities.
• Pupils take part in community and citizenship activities, including the SPA+ programme.
• Leadership and governance are effective, with new leaders accurately evaluating the school and driving improvement.
• Staff, including early career teachers, are positive about professional development and support.
• Trustees fulfil statutory duties and have secure oversight of safeguarding.
• Parents and carers are very supportive of the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement is the area needing attention, with some pupils achieving below their peers in national tests and examinations.
• Some pupils are not as well prepared for their next steps as they should be.
• Pupils who join with higher starting points have not consistently received support to reach the curriculum's ambition.
• Teachers should ensure higher-attaining pupils have sufficient opportunities to apply knowledge and deepen learning.
• Teachers should consistently provide effective opportunities for pupils to respond to feedback.
• Some pupils lack confidence to contribute in lessons as fully as their peers.
• Leaders need to develop a wider range of opportunities for pupils to build self-confidence, including oracy skills.
• Overall absence remains above the national average, although improving.
• GCSE English and maths grade 5, Attainment 8 and Progress 8 outcomes are below national averages.
• Destinations after key stage 4 are below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8 remains below the national average.

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 Sewell Park Academy attended 89.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.8% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Sewell Park Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Sewell Park Academy had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.8% 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, 19.7% of pupils at Sewell Park Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.2% 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 Sewell Park Academy received £8,724 and spent £8,191 for each of its 790 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £55,000 (-£69 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Broad Horizons Education Trust, income was £8,232 and spending £8,091 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

Sewell Park Academy is part of Broad Horizons Education Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• St. Clements Hill Primary Academy Norwich
• Sprowston Community Academy Norwich
• Bluebell Primary School Norwich
• Hillside Avenue Primary and Nursery School, Thorpe Norwich
• Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form Norwich
• Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery Norwich
• Eaton Hall Specialist Academy Norwich
• Tuckswood Academy Norwich
• Dussindale Primary School Norwich
• Hemblington Primary School Norwich

What is Sewell Park Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sewell Park Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Sewell Park Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Sewell Park Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Sewell Park Academy have?

Sewell Park Academy has 775 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sewell Park Academy cover?

Sewell Park Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Sewell Park Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.6, and 30% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Sewell Park Academy?

Sewell Park Academy is at St Clement's Hill, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 4BX.