Northgate Primary School

Northgate Primary School is a happy, ambitious school where pupils enjoy learning and most achieve in line with national expectations. Inspectors found it performing well across the key areas they judged, with pupils benefiting from a broad curriculum rooted in the local area, a wide range of trips and clubs, and strong early reading. Pupils are polite, kind and resilient, behaviour is generally good, and they value opportunities to take on leadership roles. The school is part of the Kingfisher Schools Trust and this was its first routine inspection since the pandemic; under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade was given. Leadership has steadied after a period of turbulence, staff feel supported, and the school is working with trust partners to share practice and develop expertise. Safeguarding is effective. The curriculum is well planned in most subjects, vocabulary is carefully sequenced, and regular checks help staff address gaps. SEND is identified clearly, and nurture and intervention groups support many pupils well, including those with more complex needs. Early years provision is good, and transition into Reception is valued by parents. Two main areas need improvement. Teaching approaches and use of resources are not consistent enough, particularly in mathematics, so some pupils do not build knowledge as securely as they could. Support for pupils with complex language and communication needs is not fully effective, and early language support could be stronger. A minority of pupils also do not attend school as regularly as they should, although leaders are taking proactive and supportive action with families.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and enjoy learning
• Ambitious curriculum with a strong local-area focus
• Wide range of trips, clubs and extra-curricular activities
• Pupils are polite, kind and welcoming
• Most pupils behave well and are resilient
• Strong early reading provision from Nursery through Reception
• Clear vocabulary planning and regular practice of core learning
• Effective identification of SEND and well-used nurture and intervention groups
• Consistent behaviour expectations from staff
• Good early years provision with a valued transition into Reception
• Pupils show respect for different religions, cultures and views
• Music, singing and performance help build confidence
• Staff feel supported and have access to professional development
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching approaches and use of resources, particularly in mathematics
• Support for pupils with complex language and communication needs is not fully effective
• Support for pupils at a very early stage of language development could be stronger
• A minority of pupils do not attend school regularly enough

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 Northgate Primary School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.8% 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, 4.6% of pupils at Northgate Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Northgate Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.5% 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, 21.2% of pupils at Northgate Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.4% 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 Northgate Primary School received £7,445 and spent £6,736 for each of its 413 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £429,000 (£1,039 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Kingfisher Schools Trust, income was £7,914 and spending £8,139 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 Great Yarmouth · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Northgate Primary School is part of Kingfisher Schools Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Southtown Primary School Great Yarmouth
• Roman Hill Primary School Lowestoft
• Sir John Leman High School Beccles
• Alde Valley Academy Leiston
• Snape Primary School Saxmundham
• Stowmarket High School Stowmarket

What is Northgate Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Northgate Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Northgate Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Northgate Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Northgate Primary School have?

Northgate Primary School has 425 pupils on roll.

What age range does Northgate Primary School cover?

Northgate Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Northgate Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 37% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Northgate Primary School?

Northgate Primary School is at Northgate Street, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 1BP.