SchoolScoresDrake Primary School
Community school · Primary, ages 4 to 11 · Mixed
Fairfields, Croxton Road, Thetford, IP24 1JW
01842 762055 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 3 March 2026 , published 18 May 2026.
In short: 2 strong, 3 expected, 2 needs attention, and safeguarding met.
Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. | Met |
| InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. | Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this. |
| Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Early yearsNursery and reception classes. | Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects. |
| Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. | Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects. |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
65 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.
Thetford comparisons use the 3 of its 20 state primary schools with comparable results. The other 17 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Thetford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school 2nd highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Thetford. Higher than 6% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 68% | 75% | 83% |
| My child feels safe at this school 2nd highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Thetford. Higher than 4% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 65% | 73% | 85% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 2nd highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Thetford. Higher than 8% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 58% | 67% | 78% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 23 parents whose child had been bullied Joint 4th highest of 5 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Norfolk. Higher than 3% of 329 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 9% | – | 43% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 58 parents who had raised a concern 3rd highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Thetford. Higher than 3% of 1,062 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 40% | 56% | 74% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 21 parents of children with SEND 7th highest of 7 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Norfolk. Higher than 2% of 552 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 24% | – | 63% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent 2nd highest of 3 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in Thetford. Higher than 7% of 1,091 state primary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 65%said yes | 73% | 83% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 16%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Thetford figures pool parents at the Thetford schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25
58 pupils in this year group.
40% — 16 points below the Norfolk average, and 22 points below the England average.
| Measure | This school | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 40% | 56% | 62% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 5% | 8% |
| Met the expected standard in reading | 72% | 72% | 75% |
| Met the expected standard in writing | 52% | 66% | 72% |
| Met the expected standard in maths | 52% | 69% | 74% |
| Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 103 | 105 | 106 |
| Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. | 100 | 103 | 105 |
Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Norfolk. The national closing date for primary applications is 15 January, and offers are sent on 16 April.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were about 1 first-choice applications for every place.
| Places offered | 59 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 68 |
| Of those, offered a place | 58 (85%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 106 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.3 · 2025: 0.9 · 2026: 1.2
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
Specialist SEND provision: this school has resourced provision with 16 places for autism. These places are usually allocated through the council's SEND team.
| Pupils | This school | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 17th highest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Higher than 24% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 12.2% | 23.9%* | 26.3% |
| With an education, health and care plan 4th highest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Higher than 91% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 6.8% | 4.1%* | 3.5% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 20th highest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Higher than 13% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 8.8% | 15.3%* | 15.0% |
| English as an additional language 9th highest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Higher than 74% of 16,656 state primary schools in England. | 25.8% | 15.1%* | 23.4% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 12th lowest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Lower than 35% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 5.5% | 5.3%* | 5.2% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 9th lowest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Lower than 50% of 16,640 state primary schools in England. | 11.8% | 12.5%* | 13.0% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 8th lowest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Lower than 27% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 2.9 | 5.6 | 2.5 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 6th lowest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Lower than 48% of 16,651 state primary schools in England. | 0.7% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Pupils permanently excluded1 pupil | 0.24% | 0.10% | 0.03% |
| Pupils per teacher 19th highest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Higher than 16% of 16,642 state primary schools in England. | 16.9 | 19.8 | 20.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) Joint 14th highest of 20 state primary schools in Thetford. Higher than 20% of 16,653 state primary schools in England. | 8.9 | 9.8 | 10.6 |
| Teachers who left during the year 4th highest of 13 state primary schools in Thetford. Higher than 80% of 15,063 state primary schools in England. | 23.0% | 16.7%* | 14.4%* |
Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).
Nearby primary schools
- Admirals Academy 0.2 miles · Ofsted: Good (2024) · 57% met expected standard (KS2)
- Raleigh Infant Academy 0.2 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022)
- Norwich Road Academy 0.5 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 58% met expected standard (KS2)
- The Bishop's CofE Primary Academy 0.9 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 27% met expected standard (KS2)
- Redcastle Family School 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022) · 70% met expected standard (KS2)
- Queensway Junior Academy 1.1 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 5 expected, 1 needs attention · 51% met expected standard (KS2)
- Queensway Infant Academy 1.2 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 1 strong, 6 expected
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Drake Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Drake Primary School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 3 March 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 2 strong, 3 expected, 2 needs attention, and safeguarding was met.
How did Drake Primary School do in its SATs?
In 2024/25, 40% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 22 points below the England average of 62%.
Would parents recommend Drake Primary School?
65% of the 65 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend Drake Primary School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Drake Primary School oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 68 families put Drake Primary School as their first choice for 59 places: about 1 first-choice applications for every place. 58 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 120995.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 10 November 2025 to 6 April 2026.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, Key stage 2 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.