Pakefield High School

Pakefield High School has made significant improvements and is now performing well in all key areas, reflecting strong leadership and a positive school environment. The school has successfully raised ambitions and expectations, creating a calm and purposeful space for learning where pupils feel safe and valued. While pupils are generally achieving well and the curriculum is broad and inclusive, there are still a few areas for development, particularly around enhancing reading and writing skills for some students. This is the first inspection of the school under current regulations, and the findings illustrate the positive impact of its collective efforts since joining the Clarion Corvus Trust.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit a positive attitude toward learning.
• There is a broad and suitable curriculum in place.
• The school environment is harmonious and supports wellbeing.
• Leaders effectively monitor and improve school performance.
• Teachers use assessment effectively to support pupil learning.

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of pupils struggle to develop confident reading skills.
• Some pupils have difficulties with writing, impacting their ability to fully express understanding.

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 Pakefield High School attended 90.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 11.1% of pupils at Pakefield High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 Pakefield High School had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 18.6% of pupils at Pakefield High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Pakefield High School received £8,286 and spent £8,173 for each of its 702 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £748,000 (£1,065 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Clarion Corvus Trust, income was £7,930 and spending £8,050 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 Lowestoft · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

Pakefield High School is part of Clarion Corvus Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Thurlton Primary School Norwich
• Hobart High School Norwich
• Manor Field Infant and Nursery School Norwich
• Lionwood Infant and Nursery School Norwich
• Lionwood Junior School Norwich
• Mousehold Infant & Nursery School Norwich
• George White Junior School Norwich
• Aslacton Primary School Norwich
• Drayton Community Infant School Norwich
• Nightingale Infant & Nursery School Norwich

What is Pakefield High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pakefield High School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Pakefield High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pakefield High School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Pakefield High School have?

Pakefield High School has 679 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pakefield High School cover?

Pakefield High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Pakefield High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.3, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Pakefield High School?

Pakefield High School is at London Road Pakefield, Pakefield, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 7AQ.