Morley Church of England Primary Academy

Morley Church of England Primary Academy is a small Church of England primary school within the Diocese of Norwich St Benet’s Multi-Academy Trust. This was its first routine section 5 inspection, and inspectors found the school performing well across all areas, with warm relationships, high expectations and calm, responsible pupil behaviour. Leaders and the trust have strengthened the curriculum and its implementation, and pupils benefit from strong teaching, a well-taught phonics programme, effective support for pupils with SEND, and a carefully considered personal development offer. Attendance has improved markedly because of the school’s strong work with families, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils enjoy trips, visits, clubs and leadership roles, and staff are proud to work at the school and feel well supported. The main area for improvement is that assessment information is not always used precisely enough in a few subjects, so some activities do not build closely enough on what pupils already know and can do. Published 2024 outcomes are not seen as indicative of the current quality of education.

Strengths

• Warm, caring relationships underpin a positive school culture
• Staff set high expectations and pupils readily meet them
• Pupils behave well in class and at social times
• Learning is rarely interrupted and behaviour support is highly skilled
• The curriculum is carefully designed and well implemented
• High-quality training supports strong teacher subject knowledge
• Reading and phonics are taught skilfully, with effective extra support
• Pupils with SEND are identified well and their needs are met precisely
• Attendance has improved strongly through effective strategies
• Personal development prepares pupils as responsible and active citizens
• Trips, visits and leadership roles enrich pupils’ learning
• Staff are proud to work at the school and feel supported
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, assessment information is not used well enough to match activities closely to pupils’ prior learning and needs

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 Morley Church of England Primary Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.8% 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, 3.1% of pupils at Morley Church of England 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 Morley Church of England Primary Academy had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 45.9% 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, 11.3% of pupils at Morley Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wymondham · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Morley Church of England Primary Academy is part of The Diocese of Norwich St Benet'S Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Tacolneston Church of England Primary Academy Norwich
• St Mary's Church of England Junior Academy Norwich
• Newton Flotman Church of England Primary Academy Norwich
• Garboldisham Church of England Primary Academy Diss
• Pulham Church of England Primary Academy Diss
• Dickleburgh Church of England Primary Academy (With Pre-School) Diss
• Diss Church of England Junior Academy Diss
• Diss Infant Academy and Nursery Diss
• Scole Church of England Primary Academy Diss
• Alburgh With Denton Church of England Primary Academy Harleston

What is Morley Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Morley Church of England Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Morley Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Morley Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Morley Church of England Primary Academy have?

Morley Church of England Primary Academy has 124 pupils on roll.

What age range does Morley Church of England Primary Academy cover?

Morley Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Morley Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Morley Church of England Primary Academy?

Morley Church of England Primary Academy is at Deopham Road, Morley St. Botolph, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 9TS.