Raleigh Infant Academy

Raleigh Infant Academy has demonstrated a good level of overall effectiveness in its first Ofsted inspection, showcasing strengths across all evaluated areas including the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and early years provision. The school's values of aspiration, respect, and kindness resonate well with pupils, who feel genuinely supported and safe. The ambitious and well-structured curriculum engages learners, particularly children in early years and those with special educational needs, and fosters a strong desire to learn.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate high levels of enthusiasm for learning.
• The curriculum is well-designed and supports knowledge retention.
• There are effective measures in place for safeguarding.
• Staff feel supported by school leadership and are committed to the vision.
• A wide range of extracurricular clubs and activities are offered.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum leaders are new and require further development in their roles.
• There are inconsistencies in teaching quality within the early years curriculum.

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 Raleigh Infant Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.8% 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, 6.1% of pupils at Raleigh Infant Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Raleigh Infant Academy had 32.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 18.2% of pupils at Raleigh Infant Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 Raleigh Infant Academy received £7,044 and spent £7,448 for each of its 131 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £125,000 (-£955 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

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

• Admirals 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 Raleigh Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Raleigh Infant Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Raleigh Infant Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Raleigh Infant Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Raleigh Infant Academy have?

Raleigh Infant Academy has 143 pupils on roll.

What age range does Raleigh Infant Academy cover?

Raleigh Infant Academy for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Raleigh Infant Academy?

Raleigh Infant Academy is at Admirals Way, Thetford, IP24 2JT.