Astley Primary School

Astley Primary School is performing well overall, characterized by a positive and nurturing environment that supports pupils' academic and personal growth. Since the appointment of new leadership in 2019, there has been a concerted effort to enhance the curriculum and improve educational outcomes, resulting in a consistently good performance across all inspected areas. The school emphasizes values such as cooperation and support among peers, fostering a caring community where pupils feel safe and valued.

Strengths

• Strong and positive school culture that promotes caring attitudes
• Well-sequenced early reading curriculum with effective phonics teaching
• Variety of clubs and opportunities that cater to pupils' interests
• Effective behavior management practices supported by the pastoral team
• High level of staff morale and support for leaders' vision

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum in a few subjects does not fully secure all the intended knowledge
• Insufficient opportunities for pupils to recall and build on prior learning in some 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 Astley Primary School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.7% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Astley 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 Astley Primary School had 23.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.1% 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, 20.0% of pupils at Astley Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 Astley Primary School received £6,350 and spent £6,601 for each of its 207 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £57,000 (-£277 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Synergy Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,470 and spending £7,697 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 North Norfolk · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Astley Primary School is part of Synergy Multi Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Corpusty Primary School Norwich
• Foulsham Primary School Academy Dereham
• Reepham Primary School Norwich
• Reepham High School and College Norwich
• Bawdeswell Community Primary School Dereham
• Gresham Village School and Nursery Norwich
• Fakenham Infant and Nursery School Fakenham
• Sheringham High School Sheringham
• Fakenham Junior School Fakenham
• Cromer Junior School Cromer

What is Astley Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Astley Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2022.

When was Astley Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Astley Primary School was last inspected in January 2022.

How many pupils does Astley Primary School have?

Astley Primary School has 200 pupils on roll.

What age range does Astley Primary School cover?

Astley Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

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

In 2025, 39% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Astley Primary School?

Astley Primary School is at Fakenham Road, Melton Constable, Norfolk, NR24 2HH.