Colman Junior School

Colman Junior School is performing well overall in its first graded inspection since the pandemic. Pupils are happy, safe and supported in a friendly environment, behaviour is generally calm and positive, and the school has introduced an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum since joining the Unity Schools Partnership in April 2024. Reading sits at the heart of the curriculum, pupils with SEND are well supported, and enrichment activities help pupils develop confidence and interests. Safeguarding is effective, attendance is improving, and trust support is strong. The main area for improvement is writing. Some pupils have gaps in spelling and handwriting that limit their accuracy and clarity across subjects. Published 2024 outcomes showed that many pupils had not achieved well, but the school has since raised expectations and pupils are now learning the planned curriculum successfully. The report notes that the school remains committed to raising achievement further. This is a junior school with a specially resourced provision for deaf pupils, and it has experienced recent leadership and trust changes. Inspectors found leadership determined and staff well supported, with no overall effectiveness grade given under the current inspection framework.

Strengths

• Friendly, supportive environment where pupils feel safe and valued
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum with essential knowledge identified
• Strong support for pupils with SEND, including access to the full curriculum
• Reading is central to the curriculum and builds fluency and comprehension
• Positive behaviour and a calm learning environment with clear rules and values
• Wide enrichment activities in sport, music, languages and science
• Effective trust support and challenge, with staff feeling well supported
• Attendance is improving through close monitoring and effective family support
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in spelling and handwriting that limit writing accuracy and clarity

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 Colman Junior School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.4% 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, 4.5% of pupils at Colman Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Colman Junior School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.1% 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, 13.9% of pupils at Colman Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.7% 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 Colman Junior School received £8,680 and spent £8,776 for each of its 220 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £67,000 (£305 per pupil).

Across all 39 schools of Unity Schools Partnership, income was £8,494 and spending £8,500 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 Norwich · Norfolk local authority: places and applications

Colman Junior School is part of Unity Schools Partnership, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Colman Infant School Norwich
• Henderson Green Primary Academy Norwich
• Valley Primary Academy Norwich
• Heartsease Primary Academy Norwich
• Robert Kett Primary School Wymondham
• Silfield Oak Primary Academy Wymondham
• Lingwood Primary Academy Lingwood
• Breckland School Brandon
• Sir Peter Hall School Bury St. Edmunds
• Abbots Green Primary Academy Bury St Edmunds

What is Colman Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Colman Junior School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Colman Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Colman Junior School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Colman Junior School have?

Colman Junior School has 209 pupils on roll.

What age range does Colman Junior School cover?

Colman Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Colman Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Colman Junior School?

Colman Junior School is at South Park Avenue, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7AU.