Diss Infant Academy and Nursery

Diss Infant Academy and Nursery is a small, happy and caring school within the Diocese of Norwich St Benet’s multi-academy trust. Inspectors found it meeting expected standards across all areas, with safeguarding requirements met. Pupils enjoy school, behave well, and benefit from a coherent, well-sequenced curriculum that starts in the early years, aligns with the junior school, and supports disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND to access the same ambitious learning. Attendance approaches have been strengthened and are showing improvement, with persistent absence now below the national average, and strong pastoral support helps families overcome barriers. The school’s leadership, governance and trust support are effective. Staff morale is high, training and coaching are well regarded, and there is a clear shared vision focused on pupils’ wellbeing and achievement. Personal development, early years provision, inclusion and phonics teaching are all strengths, and children settle quickly and make steady progress from their starting points. There are still areas to refine. Sometimes teachers do not adapt the curriculum confidently enough for pupils who already know the content, so some work feels too easy and deeper learning is limited. In the early years, recent staffing changes have created some inconsistency in interactions, and classroom adaptations can rely too heavily on adult support, reducing independence. Overall absence remains above the national average, though it is improving.

Strengths

• Happy, caring school where pupils enjoy learning and behave well
• Safeguarding standards are met with an open culture of safeguarding
• Coherent, well-sequenced curriculum aligned with the junior school
• Consistent phonics teaching that builds secure early reading
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum and progress well
• Attendance approaches have been revised and are improving, with persistent absence now below the national average
• Strong pastoral support and family partnership help reduce barriers
• Effective governance and trust support provide appropriate support and challenge
• High staff morale, with training, coaching and workload considered
• Well-sequenced personal development programme covering safety, wellbeing, relationships and British values
• Carefully planned early years curriculum with strong communication, language and EAL focus
• Early identification and inclusive support for pupils with SEND
• Pupils build positive relationships and trust adults to help them

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers sometimes lack confidence to adapt the curriculum when pupils already know the content
• Some pupils are not sufficiently challenged and work can feel too easy
• Pupils can become distracted when they already know the content
• Recent staffing changes in early years have led to inconsistent interactions and missed chances to extend learning
• Classroom adaptations sometimes rely too heavily on staff support, limiting pupils’ independence
• Curriculum teaching approaches need further development so pupils deepen understanding consistently
• Overall absence remains above the national average, although improving

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 Diss Infant Academy and Nursery attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.2% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Diss Infant Academy and Nursery 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 Diss Infant Academy and Nursery had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.0% 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, 17.4% of pupils at Diss Infant Academy and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.1% 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 2021–22 Diss Infant Academy and Nursery received £6,094 and spent £6,372 for each of its 137 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £45,000 (£325 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of The Diocese of Norwich St Benet'S Multi-Academy Trust, income was £4,539 and spending £4,992 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 Diss · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Diss Infant Academy and Nursery is part of The Diocese of Norwich St Benet'S Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Diss Church of England Junior Academy Diss
• Scole Church of England Primary Academy Diss
• Dickleburgh Church of England Primary Academy (With Pre-School) Diss
• Pulham Church of England Primary Academy Diss
• Garboldisham Church of England Primary Academy Diss
• The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School) Harleston
• St Mary's Church of England Junior Academy Norwich
• Tacolneston Church of England Primary Academy Norwich
• Alburgh With Denton Church of England Primary Academy Harleston
• Newton Flotman Church of England Primary Academy Norwich

What is Diss Infant Academy and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Diss Infant Academy and Nursery is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Diss Infant Academy and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Diss Infant Academy and Nursery was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Diss Infant Academy and Nursery have?

Diss Infant Academy and Nursery has 115 pupils on roll.

What age range does Diss Infant Academy and Nursery cover?

Diss Infant Academy and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Diss Infant Academy and Nursery?

Diss Infant Academy and Nursery is at Fitzwalter Road, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4PU.