St. Clements Hill Primary Academy

St. Clements Hill Primary Academy is a happy, caring school where pupils feel safe, enjoy learning and are well supported. The inspection found the school has improved since its previous inspection, with the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all judged good. The school is part of the Broad Horizons multi-academy trust and this academic year has a Year 6 cohort for the first time. Under the current inspection framework, no overall effectiveness grade is given. The curriculum is carefully sequenced and teachers have strong subject knowledge, supported by effective training and coaching. Reading and phonics are particular strengths, with children starting phonics in Reception and most pupils becoming fluent readers by the end of Year 2. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is exceptionally strong, and children in Reception settle quickly and learn well. Behaviour is usually calm and orderly, attendance is improving, and suspensions have reduced. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment experiences, and leaders and the trust provide effective oversight and support. The main area for improvement is that pupils lack opportunities to contribute to the wider local community and do not know enough about the needs and context of the area their school serves. In addition, a small number of pupils have difficulty managing their own behaviour, which very occasionally interrupts other pupils’ concentration, although effective strategies are in place. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, feel safe and are part of a caring school community.
• Teachers make lessons interesting and provide effective support when pupils are stuck.
• The school has high expectations and standards are rising.
• The curriculum is carefully sequenced and identifies the important knowledge pupils need.
• Teachers use strategies such as ‘flashbacks’ to help pupils recall and build on prior learning.
• Staff have strong subject knowledge due to effective training and coaching.
• Phonics is taught well from Reception, and pupils who fall behind catch up quickly.
• Most pupils become fluent readers by the end of Year 2 and enjoy reading.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is exceptionally strong.
• Children in Reception are happy, safe and benefit from strong routines and effective questioning.
• Behaviour is usually calm and orderly because staff apply the behaviour policy consistently.
• Attendance is improving and suspensions have reduced.
• Pupils take part in a wide range of enrichment activities and have opportunities to lead.
• Pupils understand and embrace difference, and there is a strong sense of community.
• Leaders, local governors and the trust provide stringent oversight and effective support.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils lack opportunities to make a positive contribution to the wider local community.
• Pupils do not know enough about some of the needs and context of their local community.
• Some pupils have difficulty managing their own behaviour, which very occasionally interrupts other pupils’ concentration.

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 St. Clements Hill Primary Academy attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.1% 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, 1.3% of pupils at St. Clements Hill Primary 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 St. Clements Hill Primary Academy had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.1% 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, 11.1% of pupils at St. Clements Hill Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% 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 St. Clements Hill Primary Academy received £6,635 and spent £6,125 for each of its 304 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £21,000 (-£69 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Broad Horizons Education Trust, income was £8,232 and spending £8,091 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

St. Clements Hill Primary Academy is part of Broad Horizons Education Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Sewell Park Academy Norwich
• Sprowston Community Academy Norwich
• Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form Norwich
• Hillside Avenue Primary and Nursery School, Thorpe Norwich
• Dussindale Primary School Norwich
• Edith Cavell Academy and Nursery Norwich
• Bluebell Primary School Norwich
• Tuckswood Academy Norwich
• Eaton Hall Specialist Academy Norwich
• Hemblington Primary School Norwich

What is St. Clements Hill Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St. Clements Hill Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was St. Clements Hill Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St. Clements Hill Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does St. Clements Hill Primary Academy have?

St. Clements Hill Primary Academy has 298 pupils on roll.

What age range does St. Clements Hill Primary Academy cover?

St. Clements Hill Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St. Clements Hill Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St. Clements Hill Primary Academy?

St. Clements Hill Primary Academy is at 50 Le Safferne Gardens, Norwich, NR3 4AR.