The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)

South Norfolk · IP20 9DD

General information All-through School · 3-16 years Who goes here 824 pupils, 24.1% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted and results

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 14.4% on SEN support Behaviour 6.8% absence rate Staff 13.1% turnover Financials £7,714 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)

General Information

Address: Wilderness Lane, Harleston, IP20 9DD – View on map
Phone: 01379852561
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Rob Connelly
Age range: 3-16 years
Demand for places (Year 7, September 2026): 28 families put it first for 29 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

824 pupils out of 973 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 195
% eligible for free school meals: 24.1%
Pupil mix: 2 in 10 (less mixed than the South Norfolk average)
English as an additional language: 6% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 13.1% a year (South Norfolk 11.6%, typical in England 15.5%)
Where they went: about 50% moved to another school, 50% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Norfolk: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 92 (1.8 per 1,000 pupils; England 1.7)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 2
Suspensions for bullying: 86 (1.7 per 1,000 pupils; England 1.9)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 36 (0.7 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.8)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state secondary schools in Norfolk (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 6.8%
Persistently absent pupils: 18.5%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 14.4%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 8.4%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Moderate learning difficulty: 35 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 31 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 28 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 18 pupils
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Moderate learning difficulty: 22 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 19 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 16 pupils
Physical disability: 4 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 4 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

No overall grade given 2025 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted stopped giving single overall grades for a period between September 2024 and November 2025 - this school's most recent inspection falls in that window, so there's no single rating to show, even though it was inspected. The full report (linked below) still has the detail.

SecondaryGCSE results, Year 11

Attainment 8 score: 42.7
Compared with the area: 8.3 points below the South Norfolk average (51.0)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: As expected (−2.0 points against an expected 44.7)
Grade 4+ in English and maths: 64% (South Norfolk 76%, England 65%) Improving
Data year: 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

GCSE results over time

This schoolSouth Norfolk averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 8.3 points below the South Norfolk average (51.0).

About the Attainment 8 score

Attainment 8 measures a pupil's average result across 8 GCSE-equivalent qualifications (English and maths count double). It shows how pupils performed, not how much progress they made getting there - a school with a higher score doesn't necessarily add more value, since pupils often arrive with different starting points. Progress 8 is the measure designed to account for that, but it currently can't be calculated for any school for the two most recent academic years, due to a nationwide gap in the data caused by COVID-19 disruption to Key Stage 2 testing.

9th of 9 all-through schools in South Norfolk for Attainment 8

#7Hobart High School46.1
#8Ormiston Victory Academy45.3
#9The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)42.7

Click to see the full ranking

Attainment 8 ranking

Illustrative MVP scores - not based on verified data yet.

Rank School Score

#1Hethersett Academy59.0
#2Wymondham College56.4
#3Wymondham High Academy52.6
#4Long Stratton High School50.8
#5Framingham Earl High School50.6
#6Diss High School46.6
#7Hobart High School46.1
#8Ormiston Victory Academy45.3
#9The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)42.7

Leaver Destinations

In education, employment, or training a year later: 87.0%
Went into further education: 80.0%
Data year: 2024/25

About leaver destinations

This shows where a school's Year 11 leavers were recorded the following year - in a "sustained" destination means in education, an apprenticeship, or employment for at least 6 months, not just enrolled briefly. It's a different picture from exam results alone, and can highlight schools that support pupils well beyond just their GCSE grades.

GCSE Subjects Offered

Maths (General)
English Language
Science Double Award
Religious Studies
English Literature
Geography
History
Art & Design
German
Computer Science
French Language
Speech & Drama
Music Studies (General)
Physics (General)
Biology
Chemistry (General)

About this subject list

This isn't the school's own description of its curriculum - it's real DfE exam entry data, showing which GCSE subjects this school's pupils were actually entered for in 2024/25. A subject not appearing here may still be taught but had no pupils entered that year, so treat this as a helpful guide rather than a complete guarantee - it's worth confirming directly with the school for the year your child would actually study.

PrimaryYear 6 SATs results

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 59% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 8% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 4 percentage points below the South Norfolk average (63%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well below (3-year average 48% against an expected 63%)
3-year average (expected standard): 48%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 74% · Writing 69% · Maths 70% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 74%
Average test scores: reading 104, maths 103
Based on: 61 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSouth Norfolk averageEngland↗ Improving Up 12 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 4 percentage points below the South Norfolk average (63%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 27th of 52 junior and primary schools in the area

#26Hethersett Woodside Primary & Nursery School60%
=27Morley Church of England Primary Academy59%
=27The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)59%
#29Hethersett VC Primary School58%
=30Newton Flotman Church of England Primary Academy57%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

=1Ashleigh Primary School and Nursery, Wymondham89%
=1Surlingham Primary School89%
#3Alpington and Bergh Apton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School88%
#4The Bawburgh School86%
=5Cringleford CE VA Primary School83%
=5Saxlingham Nethergate CofE VC Primary School83%
#7Wreningham VC Primary School81%
#8Trowse Primary School76%
#9St Peter's CofE Primary Academy, Easton75%
=10Bressingham Primary School73%
=10Earsham Church of England Primary Academy73%
=10Queen's Hill Primary School73%
#13Browick Road Primary and Nursery School71%
=14Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy70%
=14Wymondham College Prep School70%
#16Spooner Row Primary School69%
#17Aslacton Primary School67%
=18Brooke Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School65%
=18Mulbarton Primary School65%
#20Hempnall Primary School64%
#21Poringland Primary School63%
=22Dickleburgh Church of England Primary Academy (With Pre-School)62%
=22Hingham Primary School62%
=22Robert Kett Primary School62%
#25Little Melton Primary School61%
#26Hethersett Woodside Primary & Nursery School60%
=27Morley Church of England Primary Academy59%
=27The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)59%
#29Hethersett VC Primary School58%
=30Newton Flotman Church of England Primary Academy57%
=30Scole Church of England Primary Academy57%
=32Alburgh With Denton Church of England Primary Academy56%
=32Barford Primary School56%
=32Seething and Mundham Primary School56%
=32St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Costessey56%
#36Costessey Primary School55%
=37Stoke Holy Cross Primary School52%
=37Tasburgh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School52%
=37Wicklewood Primary School and Nursery52%
#40Roydon Primary School51%
=41Diss Church of England Junior Academy50%
=41St Mary's Church of England Junior Academy50%
=41Woodton Primary School50%
#44Tacolneston Church of England Primary Academy47%
#45Ditchingham Church of England Primary Academy45%
#46Barnham Broom Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School44%
#47Thurton Primary School40%
=48Forncett St Peter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School33%
=48Thurlton Primary School33%
#50Ellingham VC Primary School30%
#51Bunwell Primary School25%
#52Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School13%

View full Ofsted inspection report

Financials

Spending per pupil: £7,714 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

2nd of 9 all-through schools in South Norfolk for spending per pupil

#1Wymondham College£12,042
#2The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)£7,714
#3Ormiston Victory Academy£7,383
#4Diss High School£7,378

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Wymondham College£12,042
#2The Harleston Sancroft Academy (a 3-16 Church of England School)£7,714
#3Ormiston Victory Academy£7,383
#4Diss High School£7,378
#5Hobart High School£7,254
#6Long Stratton High School£6,954
#7Framingham Earl High School£6,897
#8Hethersett Academy£6,837
#9Wymondham High Academy£6,672

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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General Information

Who goes here

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Behaviour

Across Norfolk: suspensions by reason

Attendance

SEN

Most common needs - SEN Support

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Educational Attainment

Attainment 8 ranking

Leaver Destinations ?

GCSE Subjects Offered ?

Year 6 SATs ranking

Financials

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Leaver Destinations

GCSE Subjects Offered