City Academy Norwich
299 Bluebell Road, Norwich, NR4 7LPOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
City Academy Norwich is a secondary school in Norwich for ages 11 to 19. It is one of the 453 schools in Norfolk. It ranks 22nd of 22 secondary schools in Norwich. Its latest Ofsted rating is Requires improvement, from an inspection in June 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 18 June 2024, report published 8 July 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Requires improvement
- Personal development
- Requires improvement
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 18 June 2024
Pupils have noticed the positive changes in the school since the previous inspection. They see that these will benefit their education. Staff have higher expectations, and, for some pupils, this has been challenging to adjust to. Staff are rightly asking more of pupils. Curriculum expectations are higher, and pupils have access to a wider range of subject options at key stage 3 and key stage 4. However, pupils' experiences in lessons do not always help them to learn and remember more. Some pupils did not perform well in public examinations. The school allotment and forest school provide opportunities for pupils to build their confidence and social skills. Wider benefits of these resources include positive changes in the behaviour and confidence of individual pupils. It is not common for pupils to experience unkind language. They know and trust the pastoral team to support them if they report an issue. School leaders do not tolerate prejudicial language.
What the school should improve
- The number of pupils currently being suspended is high. As a result, these pupils miss out not only on opportunities to learn but also the structure provided by the school. The school must ensure that new rules being implemented to reduce unwanted behaviours are implemented robustly and consistently by all staff.
- Pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This has an impact on their ability to keep up with their peers. When they return to school, these pupils do not always catch up with their learning. This leaves gaps in their work and knowledge. The school's systems and structures for improving attendance must be sufficiently rigorous to improve attendance rapidly.
- The curriculum in some subject areas is not yet fully established. As a result, it does not yet enable pupils to complete work of a consistently high quality as they do not always have an appropriate level of understanding to do so. The school's ongoing curriculum implementation must ensure that pupils acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make sufficient progress towards their next steps.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
135 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
674 pupils on roll, with places for 1,100
Schools near City Academy Norwich
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich High School for Girls GDST | 1 mile | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 36.7 |
| City of Norwich School, An Ormiston Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 50.4 |
| Town Close Co-Educational Preparatory School | 2 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
| Nurture Education Trust | 2 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 16.5 |
| Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form Free School | 2 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- SAPIENTIA EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jo Franklin
- Address
- 299 Bluebell Road, Norwich, NR4 7LP
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- URN
- 135904
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.