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The Open Academy

Secondary · Norwich · NR7 9DL

Data updated

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Good

Graded inspection under the pre-November 2025 system

This is an overall-effectiveness grade from the previous inspection framework. The school has not yet had a report-card inspection.

Quality of education: GoodBehaviour & attitudes: GoodPersonal development: GoodLeadership & management: GoodSafeguarding effective: Yes

Inspected 28 March 2023

Read the Ofsted report ↗

At a glance

529 pupils · 71% of 750 capacity (January 2026 census)

School type
Academy sponsor led
Age range
11–19
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
39.9% of pupils (January 2026)
English as additional language
12.9% of pupils (2024/2025)
SEN support
25.9% of pupils (2024/2025)
EHC plan
6.6% of pupils (2024/2025)
Website
http://www.open-academy.org.uk/
URN
135650

In figures

For September 2026 entry, 91 families named it first for 96 Year 7 places, 0.95 first choices per place. Ofsted last graded it Good on 28 March 2023, under the framework used before November 2025. In the 2025/26 autumn and spring terms its pupils missed 14.3% of sessions, against 6.6% across England.

Admissions demand: Year 7 entry, September 2026

0.95 first-choice applications per place

96 places offered · 91 first-choice applications · roughly balanced

First-choice applications per place, by entry year

19/20
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
25/26
26/27

Source: DfE applications and offers on national offer day · how demand is measured

GCSE results (2024/2025)

104 pupils at the end of key stage 4 in 2024/2025

Attainment 8 score
36.7
England 46.1
Grade 4 or above in English & maths GCSEs
51%
England 64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs
34.6%
England 45.4%
EBacc average point score
3.2
England 4.1

Progress 8 is suspended nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26. These cohorts sat no key stage 2 tests (COVID), so there is no baseline to measure progress from.

A-level results (2024/2025)

A-level points per entry (England: 35 ≈ B-) D-
17.2
England 35

Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · what “suppressed” means

Schools with a similar intake

Attainment 8, 2024/2025

This school36.7
Median of its 12 closest peers36.6
Norfolk average45.3
England46.1

On attainment 8, this school is in line with the schools that teach a comparable intake.

They are matched on intake, not location, so most are not local: see nearby schools for those you could apply to.

SchoolOfstedAttainment 8
Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports CollegeChester · 182 miles awayNeeds attention33.2
The Grange SchoolChristchurch · 186 miles awayExpected standard36.3
The Featherstone AcademyPontefract · 131 miles awayExpected standard41.6
The Sele SchoolHertford · 84 miles awayGood35.7
The Barnes Wallis AcademyLincoln · 70 miles awayGood39.1
Holsworthy Community CollegeHolsworthy · 274 miles awayGood39.9
Kemnal Technology CollegeSidcup · 100 miles awayRequires improvement29.3
Axe Valley AcademyAxminster · 225 miles awayGood39.2
All Saints Academy DunstableDunstable · 94 miles awayRequires improvement36.9
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUKSalford · 161 miles awayGood35.6
Ormiston Venture AcademyGorleston · 17 miles awayOutstanding47.3
City Academy NorwichNorwich · 3 miles awayRequires improvement35.2

It is not a ranking. Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · how the matching works

Special educational needs

Needs this school records that it caters for, in the order it lists them.

Provision type: Resourced provision.

Resourced provision
13 of 20 places taken places may be available

Unit places come from the school census and describe the position when it was taken, not today. Confirm with the local authority before relying on them.

Pupils by ethnicity (January 2026)

White British 77% (Norfolk 78%, England 59%) · Any other White background 7% (Norfolk 8%, England 7%) · Black African 3% (Norfolk 2%, England 5%) · Not recorded 3% (Norfolk 2%, England 2%) · Any other ethnic group 2% (Norfolk 1%, England 3%) · Mixed White and Black African 2% (Norfolk 1%, England 1%) · Any other Mixed background 2% (Norfolk 2%, England 3%) · Mixed White and Asian 1% (Norfolk 1%, England 2%) · Mixed White and Black Caribbean 1% (Norfolk 1%, England 2%) · other groups together 2%

Source: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026 census · how to read these figures

Attendance (2025/26 autumn and spring terms)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
14.3%
England 6.6%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
33.3%
England 17.5%

Suspensions and permanent exclusions (2024/25)

61.07 suspensions per 100 pupils and 5 permanent exclusions · England, secondary schools: 21.24 suspensions and 0.23 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils · Norfolk: 21.34 suspensions and 0.32 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

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Source: DfE pupil absence data, autumn and spring terms, and DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions, school-level file · how absence is measured · how to read exclusions

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
15.5
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Teacher retention (2024/25)

86% of teachers stayed at the school the following year · 14% left the state-funded sector

Vacancies (November 2025)

0% of teaching posts vacant, 0% filled temporarily · England, secondary academies: 0.45% vacant, 0.33% temporary

Teacher sickness absence (reported in the November 2024 census)

90.5% of teachers took sickness absence, 9.4 days each on average · England, all state-funded schools: 61.8%, 8.1 days

Teacher pay (November 2025)

Mean salary of full-time qualified teachers £55,326; 20.5% on the leadership pay range · England, secondary schools: £53,766, 11.3%

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Source: DfE School Workforce Census · how these figures are counted

Spending per pupil (2024-25)

This school£9,211
Typical secondary school£7,846

Where the money went (2024-25)

Share of spending, with the median for secondary schools in brackets: Staff 79% (77%) · premises 5% (5%) · occupation (energy, rates, cleaning) 8% (6%) · supplies and services 7% (11%) · educational supplies 3% (6%) · bought-in professional services 2% (1%) · catering 4% (3%)

Reserves (2024-25)

Revenue reserve £0; in-year balance +£476,000

Spending and reserves, last three years Premium

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Higher spending is not a measure of quality. Source: academy finance return, 2024-25, DfE · how spending is compared

Where pupils go after GCSEs

In sustained education, work or training
87%
Continuing in education
84%
Apprenticeship
2%
Employment
1%

Where students go after sixth form

To university / higher education
35%
Apprenticeship
0%
Employment
35%
Any sustained destination
74%

Destinations measured the year after leaving, DfE destination measures in the 2024/2025 performance tables.

Inspection history since 2015

Source: Ofsted management information · ungraded visits and the two inspection systems

The area around the school

Child poverty (IDACI)
2/10among the most deprived fifth of England
Overall deprivation (IMD)
2/10among the most deprived fifth of England
Census 2021This areaEngland
Adults with a degree or higher16%33.9%
Adults with no qualifications27.3%18.1%
In managerial or professional work15.9%33.2%
Households deprived in two or more ways29.3%18.1%
Residents in very good health40%48.5%
Homes owned by the occupier51%62.3%
Social housing40.2%17.1%
Privately rented8.5%20.5%
Detached houses2%22.9%
Flats23.7%22.2%
Homes with four or more bedrooms2.7%21.1%
Households with no car or van27.6%23.5%

These figures describe the area, not the pupils. Source: Census 2021 (ONS) and English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG) for small area E01026805 · how to read area figures

What homes cost nearby

Median sale price
£242,000295 sales within 1 km, January 2024 to September 2026
Typical range
£215,000–£275,000the middle half of sales
England median
£300,000all sales over the same period
Detached (26)£282,500
Semi-detached (148)£260,000
Terraced (96)£230,000
Flat (25)£140,000

Homes around this school are cheaper than most school neighbourhoods in England, comparing the median within 1 km across every state school.

Source: HM Land Registry sales within 1 km since January 2024 · how sales are counted. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcodes located with OS Code-Point Open: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Roads around the school

Child pedestrian casualties
2an urban school averages 2.0
Collisions at school-run times
4an urban school averages 5.7
All reported collisions
19an urban school averages 30.5
Of those, serious or fatal
6an urban school averages 6.1

A high count usually reflects traffic, not an unsafe school. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions within 500 m, 2021–2025 · what is counted

Nearby schools