Charles Darwin Primary School

Charles Darwin Primary School has effectively maintained the outstanding standards identified in its previous inspection. The leadership team is relatively new but demonstrates expert capability in enhancing the educational experience for pupils, always keeping their best interests at the forefront. The school's supportive culture encourages respectful and friendly relationships, allowing pupils to flourish academically and socially. With a strong focus on personal development, children feel valued and take pride in their diverse backgrounds, contributing positively to the school's community.

Strengths

• Strong leadership team focused on continuous improvement.
• High standards of behaviour and exemplary attitudes towards learning.
• Rich and coherent curriculum that builds impressive knowledge and vocabulary.
• Exceptional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Effective phonics instruction leading to fluent reading.
• Positive relationships with families that enhance school attendance.
• High-quality personal development programs that help pupils grow responsibly.

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 Charles Darwin Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.8% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Charles Darwin 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 Charles Darwin Primary School had 25.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.5% 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, 15.3% of pupils at Charles Darwin Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% 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 Charles Darwin Primary School received £7,424 and spent £7,678 for each of its 443 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £180,000 (£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

Charles Darwin Primary School is part of Inspiration Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Jane Austen College Norwich
• Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form Free School Norwich
• Hewett Academy Norwich
• Norwich Primary Academy Norwich
• Cringleford Prep Cringleford
• Hethersett Academy Norwich
• Cobholm Primary Academy Great Yarmouth
• Stradbroke Primary Academy Great Yarmouth
• Great Yarmouth Charter Academy Great Yarmouth
• Great Yarmouth Primary Academy and Nursery Great Yarmouth

What is Charles Darwin Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Charles Darwin Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Charles Darwin Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Charles Darwin Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Charles Darwin Primary School have?

Charles Darwin Primary School has 465 pupils on roll.

What age range does Charles Darwin Primary School cover?

Charles Darwin Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Charles Darwin Primary School?

Charles Darwin Primary School is at 81 Rose Lane, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1DJ.