Admirals Academy

Admirals Academy, having recently transitioned from a requires improvement status to a good rating, showcases significant strengths in behaviour and personal development, categorized as outstanding. The school provides a safe and inclusive environment where pupils feel valued and are encouraged to express their ideas. While the school has made considerable progress in developing an ambitious curriculum and fostering positive relationships, there are areas for improvement regarding the robustness of assessment processes in tracking pupil learning effectively over time. The commitment to well-being and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is commendable.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour and positive attitudes towards learning.
• There is a strong focus on personal development, with pupils actively participating in community-related projects.
• The curriculum is ambitious and carefully structured, including strong support for pupils with SEND.
• High-quality training enables teachers to deliver the curriculum consistently.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment processes are not consistently robust, leading to an unclear picture of how well pupils are 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 Admirals Academy attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.1% 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, 4.4% of pupils at Admirals 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 Admirals Academy had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 18.4% of pupils at Admirals Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.5% 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 Admirals Academy received £6,522 and spent £6,564 for each of its 227 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £133,000 (£585 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Eastern Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,459 and spending £7,372 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 Thetford · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Admirals Academy is part of Eastern Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Raleigh Infant Academy Thetford
• Norwich Road Academy Thetford
• Glade Academy Brandon
• Southery Academy Downham Market
• Nelson Academy Downham Market
• Upwell Academy Wisbech
• Parkway Academy King'S Lynn
• King's Lynn Academy King'S Lynn
• Eastgate Academy King'S Lynn
• Emneth Academy Wisbech

What is Admirals Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Admirals Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Admirals Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Admirals Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Admirals Academy have?

Admirals Academy has 201 pupils on roll.

What age range does Admirals Academy cover?

Admirals Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Admirals Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Admirals Academy?

Admirals Academy is at Admirals Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2JT.