Queensway Junior Academy

Queensway Junior Academy is making significant progress in several areas, with a strong focus on improving attendance and behavior. Leaders have successfully fostered a calm and welcoming environment, leading to enhanced student engagement and reduced suspensions. However, while positive strides have been made in refining the curriculum, particularly in reading, writing and math, students' overall achievement remains a concern, particularly in writing, where many pupils are still below the national average. The school is part of the Inspiration Trust, and the leaders are determined to build on their recent improvements to support pupils further.

Strengths

• Strong leadership commitment to improving behaviour and attendance.
• Effective curriculum enhancements that prioritize reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Improved relationships between pupils and teachers, fostering a supportive learning environment.
• Proactive inclusion support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics remains below national averages.
• Pupils have not been consistently supported in developing their writing skills.
• Persistent absence rates and overall attendance above national averages.

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 Queensway Junior Academy attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.7% 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, 7.3% of pupils at Queensway Junior Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 3 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 Queensway Junior Academy had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 43.5% 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, 36.9% of pupils at Queensway Junior Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% 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 Queensway Junior Academy received £8,595 and spent £10,054 for each of its 151 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £61,000 (£405 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Inspiration Trust, income was £8,318 and spending £8,382 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

Queensway Junior Academy is part of Inspiration Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Queensway Infant Academy Thetford
• The Thetford Academy Thetford
• Wayland Academy Thetford
• Hethersett Academy Norwich
• Cringleford Prep Cringleford
• Norwich Primary Academy Norwich
• Hewett Academy Norwich
• Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form Free School Norwich
• King Edward VII Academy King'S Lynn
• Jane Austen College Norwich

What is Queensway Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Queensway Junior Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Queensway Junior Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Queensway Junior Academy was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Queensway Junior Academy have?

Queensway Junior Academy has 141 pupils on roll.

What age range does Queensway Junior Academy cover?

Queensway Junior Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Queensway Junior Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Queensway Junior Academy?

Queensway Junior Academy is at Hillary Road, Thetford, IP24 3DP.