Angel Road Infant School

Angel Road Infant School is performing well overall, with good judgements across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is an improvement from its previous requires-improvement grade. Inspectors found a warm, inclusive school where pupils feel safe, enjoy learning and are well supported as individuals. Reading is a particular priority: phonics is taught consistently well, progress is closely monitored, and targeted support helps pupils who fall behind to catch up. Pupils with SEND are identified promptly and supported appropriately, including through work with external agencies and parents. Children in the early years get off to a positive start in calm, well-organised Nursery and Reception settings. Attendance has improved because the school has strengthened procedures and worked closely with families. Pupils understand the school rules, behave well around school, and benefit from a well-planned personal, social and health education programme and a wide range of enrichment clubs. The trust and governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff value the attention given to their workload and well-being. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is that the school does not consistently adapt the work pupils are given with enough precision. As a result, some pupils do not learn and remember essential knowledge in enough depth and are not always able to reflect on previous learning as fully as they should. Leaders should ensure teachers have the knowledge they need to adapt work precisely across the curriculum.

Strengths

• Pupils feel warmly welcomed, safe and included
• Reading is a high priority and phonics is taught consistently well
• Targeted support helps pupils who fall behind in reading to catch up
• Pupils with SEND are identified promptly and supported effectively
• Children in the early years get off to a positive start in calm, well-organised settings
• Attendance rates have improved through stronger procedures and work with parents
• Pupils behave well and understand the school rules
• A well-planned personal, social and health education programme prepares pupils well
• A wide range of enrichment clubs builds confidence and social skills
• Trust and governors provide effective support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• The school does not adapt work with sufficient precision across the curriculum
• Some pupils do not learn and remember essential knowledge with enough depth
• Teachers need the knowledge required to precisely adapt work for pupils

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 Angel Road Infant School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Angel Road Infant 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 Angel Road Infant School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 39.0% 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, 19.4% of pupils at Angel Road Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Angel Road Infant School received £8,139 and spent £10,250 for each of its 145 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £134,000 (£923 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Evolution Academy Trust, income was £6,922 and spending £7,234 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

Angel Road Infant School is part of Evolution Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Angel Road Junior School Norwich
• Nelson Infant School Norwich
• Wensum Junior School Norwich
• Bignold Primary School and Nursery Norwich
• Eaton Primary School Norwich
• Costessey Primary School Norwich
• Filby Primary School Great Yarmouth
• Dell Primary School Lowestoft
• Elm Tree Primary School Lowestoft
• Poplars Community Primary School Lowestoft

What is Angel Road Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Angel Road Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Angel Road Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Angel Road Infant School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Angel Road Infant School have?

Angel Road Infant School has 155 pupils on roll.

What age range does Angel Road Infant School cover?

Angel Road Infant School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Angel Road Infant School?

Angel Road Infant School is at Angel Road, 81 Angel Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 3HR.