The Open Academy

  • Secondary
  • Academy
  • Ages 11 to 19
Ofsted: Good

Salhouse Road, Norwich, NR7 9DLOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

The Open Academy is a secondary school in Norwich for ages 11 to 19. It is one of the 453 schools in Norfolk. It ranks 19th of 22 secondary schools in Norwich. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 28 March 2023, report published 23 May 2023

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 March 2023

This is an inclusive school. Pupils are tolerant of difference and supportive of peers who find things difficult. Pupils of all abilities have their individual needs supported in lessons. Careful adaptations are made by teachers to enable this to happen. Since the previous inspection, leaders' expectations for pupils' behaviour, uniform and attendance have raised substantially. The consequences for not following the rules are well understood by pupils and consistently applied by staff. Consequently, behaviour and attendance have improved. Where there is bullying, leaders deal with this appropriately. Pupils say that behaviour is better than in the past. Some still express concerns about things that happened before. Pupils know that the values of the school are important for their own development. They respect each other and are polite. Pupils socialise in groups that reflect the broad ethnic mix of the school community. Many attend the range of extra-curricular activities and enjoy the trips that enhance the curriculum, such as geography field work at the coast. Pupils feel they have a voice in collective decisions. This is seen in the way pupils make considered submissions to leaders that have informed jewellery and uniform policies.

What the school should improve

  • Leaders have acted to improve behaviour. Most pupils behave well. The number of suspensions for poor behaviour has reduced significantly. A small number of pupils still do not meet leaders' high expectations of behaviour consistently. Leaders need to ensure that they continue with and refine further their actions, so that improvements in behaviour are sustained.
  • The number of pupils taking themselves out of class or not attending classes has substantially reduced. There are still a small number of pupils who still do not spend enough time in lessons, reducing their access to high-quality learning. Leaders need to ensure that they continue to take actions to support pupils to reduce further the numbers of pupils who miss learning because they are not in lessons.

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

104 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score36.7

36.7, 9.4 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths34.6%

34.6%, 10.8 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths51%

51%, 13.8 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc64.4%

64.4%, 23.9 percentage points above the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score3.16

3.16, 0.93 below the England average of 4.09.

A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25

17 students

Average point score per A level entry17.21

17.21, 17.79 below the England average of 35.00.

Average A level grade D-, England average B-

Pupil numbers and mix

529 pupils on roll, with places for 750

Eligible for free school meals39.7%

39.7%, 13.2 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language14%

14%, 7.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support28.4%

28.4%, 13.6 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan8.1%

8.1%, 2.1 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near The Open Academy

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Sprowston Community Academy0.5 milesReport card: Expected standardAttainment 8: 45.0
Sewell Park Academy1 mileReport card: Needs attention to expected standardAttainment 8: 39.1
Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form1 mileOfsted judgements: GoodAttainment 8: 49.2
Norwich School1 mileNo Ofsted inspectionAttainment 8: 12.1
Jane Austen College2 milesOfsted: OutstandingAttainment 8: 53.7

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
THE DIOCESE OF NORWICH EDUCATION AND ACADEMIES TRUST
Age range
11 to 19
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Sixth form
Yes
Headteacher
Mr Daniel Bagshaw
Address
Salhouse Road, Norwich, NR7 9DL
Local authority
Norfolk
URN
135650

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.