Norwich’s (Norfolk County Council) best secondary schools 2025
Trying to find the right school for your child in Norwich? You’re in the right place.
With so many options, many parents find themselves drowning in league tables and Ofsted reports. That’s exactly why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Our expert team has analysed the latest 2023/2024 Department for Education data to bring you a list of the top-performing state secondary schools in Norwich.
We show two ranking tables, one for Progress 8 and one for GCSE 9–7 results, and also provide a complete list of all secondary schools in Norwich. This full list includes Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 percentages, and Ofsted ratings where available. The schools in this table are ordered alphabetically rather than ranked, so you can easily see every school in one place, even if some data points are missing.
Top secondary schools in Norwich by Progress 8
Notre Dame High School, Norwich is currently ranked #1 in Norwich based on its published Progress 8 score of +0.6. Progress 8 is a headline accountability measure used by the Department for Education to show how much progress pupils make between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, compared to students with similar prior attainment nationally.
| Rank | School name | Type | Gender | Progress 8 | Ofsted rating | GCSE 9-7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame High School, Norwich | Academy converter | Mixed | +0.6 | Good | 40.25% |
| 2 | Hewett Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | +0.56 | Good | 17.7% |
| 3 | The Wherry School | Free schools special | Mixed | +0.45 | Good | 18.92% |
| 4 | Jane Austen College | Free schools | Mixed | +0.26 | Outstanding | 23.72% |
| 5 | University Technical College Norfolk | University technical college | Mixed | -0.04 | - | 16.84% |
| 6 | City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy | Academy converter | Mixed | -0.09 | Good | 24.92% |
| 7 | Sewell Park Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.43 | Good | 12.51% |
| 8 | The Open Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.46 | Good | 4.88% |
| 9 | City Academy Norwich | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.75 | Requires improvement | 4.88% |
Note: Rankings use 2023/2024 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.
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Top secondary schools in Norwich by GCSE % 9–7
Norwich School is currently ranked #1 in Norwich based on the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7. This measure highlights how many pupils achieve the very top exam results, giving a clear picture of each school’s academic excellence.
| Rank | School name | Type | Gender | Progress 8 | Ofsted rating | GCSE 9-7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwich School | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | 64.55% |
| 2 | Norwich High School for Girls GDST | Other independent school | Girls | - | - | 51.42% |
| 3 | Notre Dame High School, Norwich | Academy converter | Mixed | +0.6 | Good | 40.25% |
| 4 | City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy | Academy converter | Mixed | -0.09 | Good | 24.92% |
| 5 | Jane Austen College | Free schools | Mixed | +0.26 | Outstanding | 23.72% |
| 6 | The Wherry School | Free schools special | Mixed | +0.45 | Good | 18.92% |
| 7 | Hewett Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | +0.56 | Good | 17.7% |
| 8 | University Technical College Norfolk | University technical college | Mixed | -0.04 | - | 16.84% |
| 9 | Sewell Park Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.43 | Good | 12.51% |
| 10 | The Open Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.46 | Good | 4.88% |
| 11 | City Academy Norwich | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.75 | Requires improvement | 4.88% |
| 12 | Include School Norfolk | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | 2.13% |
| 13 | Eaton Hall Specialist Academy | Academy special converter | Boys | - | Good | 0% |
| 14 | Future Education | Other independent special school | Mixed | - | - | 0% |
| 15 | Red Balloon - Norwich | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | 0% |
Note: Rankings use 2023/2024 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.
All secondary schools in Norwich
Below is the complete list of secondary schools in Norwich, including both state-funded and independent schools where data is available. This table provides an at-a-glance view of each school’s key performance metrics, including Progress 8 scores, the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7, and Ofsted ratings, where published.
| School name | Type | Gender | Progress 8 | Ofsted rating | GCSE 9-7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banks House School | Other independent special school | Mixed | - | - | - |
| City Academy Norwich | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.75 | Requires improvement | 4.88% |
| City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy | Academy converter | Mixed | -0.09 | Good | 24.92% |
| Eaton Hall Specialist Academy | Academy special converter | Boys | - | Good | 0% |
| Future Education | Other independent special school | Mixed | - | - | 0% |
| Harford Manor School, Norwich | Foundation special school | Mixed | - | Good | - |
| Hewett Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | +0.56 | Good | 17.7% |
| Include School Norfolk | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | 2.13% |
| Jane Austen College | Free schools | Mixed | +0.26 | Outstanding | 23.72% |
| Norwich High School for Girls GDST | Other independent school | Girls | - | - | 51.42% |
| Norwich School | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | 64.55% |
| Norwich Steiner School | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | - |
| Notre Dame High School, Norwich | Academy converter | Mixed | +0.6 | Good | 40.25% |
| Red Balloon - Norwich | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | 0% |
| Red Balloon Educational Trust-Norfolk | Other independent special school | Mixed | - | - | - |
| Sewell Park Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.43 | Good | 12.51% |
| The Clare School | Foundation special school | Mixed | - | Outstanding | - |
| The Open Academy | Academy sponsor led | Mixed | -0.46 | Good | 4.88% |
| The Parkside School, Norwich | Foundation special school | Mixed | - | Outstanding | - |
| The Stables Independent School | Other independent special school | Mixed | - | - | - |
| The Wherry School | Free schools special | Mixed | +0.45 | Good | 18.92% |
| Town Close Co-Educational Preparatory School | Other independent school | Mixed | - | - | - |
| University Technical College Norfolk | University technical college | Mixed | -0.04 | - | 16.84% |
Disclaimer
All data on this page is sourced from the Department for Education’s 2023/2024 Compare School Performance dataset. It includes state-funded and, where available, independent secondary schools. Some schools may be missing data for Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 results, or Ofsted ratings due to unpublished or unavailable figures. Rankings are based only on schools with published data and may not reflect recent changes. Please check school websites for the latest information.How we ranked the best schools in Norwich?
Why trust our rankings? Our analysis is based on the latest 2023/2024 data from the Department for Education’s Compare School Performance (CSP) database, which publishes official performance data for all secondary schools in England, including both state-funded and independent schools where available.
We’ve created separate tables to highlight top performers in three key areas:
- Progress 8 (pupil progress from KS2 to GCSE)
- GCSE 9–7 grades (academic excellence)
- Overall school listings, with available Ofsted ratings
Schools are primarily ranked by their Progress 8 score. This clever metric doesn’t just reward schools with high-attaining intakes – it highlights the ones that genuinely support student growth by measuring progress from the end of primary school to GCSEs. It adjusts for prior attainment, making it one of the fairest ways to compare schools.
Where available, we also show the percentage of GCSE grades at 9–7 to reflect high academic achievement, and Ofsted ratings for added context. All figures come directly from CSP’s official dataset.
Where Progress 8 data is not available for any schools in Norwich, the corresponding table will not be shown. This simply means that no schools in this area had published Progress 8 scores at the time of the latest dataset, it does not reflect on the quality of the schools themselves.
How to support your child at home
Helping your child succeed at school doesn’t just happen in the classroom, the right support at home can make a big difference. Encourage a regular study routine, provide a quiet space for learning, and take an interest in what they’re covering in lessons. Even small actions, like checking in on homework or discussing what they learned that day, can build motivation and accountability.
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Explore the best secondary schools in other areas
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