Downham Market Academy

Type Secondary / Academy sponsor led
Age Range 11-18
Religion Unknown
Address Bexwell Road
Downham Market
Norfolk
PE38 9LL
Phone 01366389100
Reference Number 145196

Downham Market Academy has demonstrated considerable improvement since its previous state, gaining a 'Good' rating across all inspection domains in its first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Pupils report feeling safe, happy, and well-supported by teachers, who effectively plan lessons that foster enthusiastic participation. The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum, ensuring that teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and provide tailored support, particularly for those with special educational needs. The leadership, backed by the Eastern Learning Alliance Trust, has effectively fostered an environment where positive behaviors are nurtured, and bullying is promptly addressed.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 1333
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 48.76%
Girls: 51.24%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 25.8%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 6.3%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 19.4

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 140 133 273
8 110 148 258
9 148 115 263
10 110 134 244
11 97 107 204
12 19 23 42
13 26 23 49

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 89.3%
White, Other 5.2%
Mixed, Other 1.4%
Asian, Other 0.9%
Chinese 0.5%
White & Asian 0.5%
African 0.5%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.3%
White & Black (African) 0.3%
Indian 0.1%
Unclassified 0.1%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Sixth Form Provision Good
Last Report Date 26 Apr 2022
Date Report
26 Apr 2022 School inspection:

Strengths

  • Teachers have strong subject knowledge.
  • Leaders have implemented an ambitious and broad curriculum.
  • Pupils feel safe, secure, and supported.
  • Behaviour is generally good, with effective management of bullying.
  • The school has a strong emphasis on reading and provides effective support for pupils who struggle.
  • Extra-curricular activities are well-engaged by pupils.
  • Careers education meets required standards.

Areas for Improvement

  • Some parents feel less informed about school life due to limited communication during the pandemic.
  • Students in the sixth form have had limited opportunities to contribute to the school community.

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
43.8

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 35.3%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 54.7%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

Sample

Unlock

GCSE Results

Sample

Unlock

Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 32.52
Average Points (best 3) 33.75

Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade C+ C+ C+
Average Grade (best 3) C+ C+ C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 4.2%
Unlock Premium

Get percentile rankings, historic result charts, admissions data, and post-GCSE destinations for every school.

£9.99 one-off payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.

Unlock for £9.99

2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 31 3
Third Preference 15 1
From another Local Authority 3 1

Previous Years

Sample

Unlock

Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

Name Distance
Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School
Hillcrest, Bexwell Road, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9ND
0.18 miles
Nelson Academy
Nursery Road, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9PF
0.59 miles
Wimbotsham and Stow Academy
Chapel Lane, Wimbotsham, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3QH
1.06 miles
Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School
19 Ryston Road, Denver, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 0DP
1.06 miles
Hilgay Riverside Academy
Church Road, Hilgay, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 0JL
3.18 miles
Holy Cross Church of England Primary School
School Road, Runcton Holme, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE33 0EL
3.37 miles
Watlington Community Primary School
Rectory Lane, Watlington, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE33 0HU
4.58 miles
Magdalen Academy
Park Crescent, Magdalen, Magdalen Academy, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3BU
4.88 miles
St Martin At Shouldham Church of England Primary Academy
Lynn Road, Shouldham, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE33 0BU
4.91 miles
Name Distance
Orchard Manor School
The Old Rectory, Stow Bardolph, Nr King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3HT
1.57 miles
Filters

Basics

Age Range

Special Schools

Independent Schools

Faith Schools

Key Stage 2 Attainment

Students Meeting expected standard

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

Students Meeting higher standard

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

GCSE Attainment

Attainment 8 score percentile

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

Students getting 5 or more GCSE's at grade 9-4 (A-C)

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99
Bootstrap