Dereham Neatherd High School Review 2026: Inclusive community secondary on the Norwich Road corridor

At GCSE level, the school’s 2024 Attainment 8 score is 42.4. Its Progress 8 score is -0.42, which indicates that, overall, pupils made below-average progress from their starting points compared with similar pupils across England. EBacc average point score is 4.08, and 10.9% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English Baccalaureate subjects.

In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 2,445th in England and 1st locally within Dereham. This sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool are useful for viewing these measures side-by-side with nearby schools, particularly because progress measures can look different to raw attainment.

Post-16 results are not a current feature of this school. Although it is designated 11 to 18, the most recent inspection notes that sixth-form provision is no longer in place.

The most useful way to understand teaching here is through the “consistency” lens. Curriculum thinking is present and developing, but it is not yet reliably translating into secure learning for all pupils. Where sequencing is clear, teaching can help pupils connect new knowledge to what they already know. Where sequencing is not secure, gaps in knowledge persist and pupils can move on without the foundations they need.

Assessment and feedback are part of that story. When checks on understanding do not pinpoint what pupils have learned, teaching cannot adjust effectively. The implication for families is practical, pupils who need structure and frequent checking may thrive when routines are tight, but they may find some subjects more variable than others while improvements bed in.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a clearer strength. The school identifies needs quickly and shares suitably detailed information with staff, enabling adaptations that help pupils access new content. For many families, that is a meaningful differentiator, it suggests day-to-day classroom practice is expected to flex, rather than relying solely on withdrawal support.

This is an 11 to 16 experience in practice, with most pupils moving on to other providers at 16. The most recent inspection confirms that sixth-form provision is no longer available on site, so Year 11 decisions matter more than they would in a school with an internal sixth form.

The careers programme is positioned as a strength, with an emphasis on both academic and technical pathways, and the school is expected to provide pupils with encounters and information linked to technical education and apprenticeships. The practical implication is that pupils should be supported to make an informed post-16 choice, whether that is a sixth form elsewhere, further education, or an apprenticeship route.

Dereham Neatherd High School is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Entry is handled through Norfolk County Council’s coordinated admissions process for Year 7 places.

Demand is material. In the latest published admissions figures for the main intake, there were 283 applications for 169 offers, and the school is described as oversubscribed on those measures. That does not automatically mean admission is impossible, but it does mean families should treat deadlines and preferences seriously and avoid assuming late changes will be accommodated.

For September 2026 entry, Norfolk’s published timetable shows applications opened on 11 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025, with national offer day on 02 March 2026. Appeals deadlines and subsequent “mini admission round” timing are also set out by the local authority.

For families planning for later years, open evenings commonly fall in early October. The school’s most recently published open evening was Thursday 02 October 2025, with additional morning tours offered in early October by booking. If you are targeting a future intake, treat that timing as a likely pattern and check the school calendar and local authority timetable each year.

If your child may need additional support, it is important to distinguish between mainstream admissions and the Specialist Resource Base. The Autism Base is accessed via referral from the child’s current setting to a panel process, supported by professional reports, and it is designed for pupils who can access a mainstream curriculum once barriers to learning have been addressed.

Wellbeing is framed both as pupil support and staff culture. The recent external picture highlights pupils who behave well, are respectful, and respond to clear expectations. It also points to staff valuing consideration of workload and wellbeing.

Personal development is described as structured rather than optional. The society and ethics programme is presented as a coherent thread that helps pupils understand concepts such as tolerance and democracy, while leadership roles like prefects and school council give pupils practical responsibility. That matters for families who want a school where behaviour and civic contribution are taught explicitly, not left to chance.

The school also signals an anti-bullying focus through prominent signposting and reporting routes on the website home page. The most reliable way to evaluate day-to-day experience is to ask how concerns are handled, how quickly incidents are followed up, and what restorative or sanction approaches are used.

The extracurricular programme is a meaningful part of the school’s identity, and the detail is unusually concrete. Clubs run at lunchtimes and after school, and the current published list includes activities that range from creative writing and gardening to more niche options like Game Development Club and a Lego League offer within Science Club.

This matters because it changes what school feels like for pupils who do not define themselves primarily through exams. Example, a pupil who is not yet confident academically can still find status and motivation through a team, a creative group, or a structured lunchtime routine. Evidence, the published clubs list includes Homework Club and subject support sessions alongside enrichment clubs. Implication, the school day can offer “anchors” that keep pupils engaged, especially in the key Years 9 to 11 period when motivation often dips.

Trips add a second pillar. The school describes curriculum-linked visits such as a Year 7 coastal erosion trip to the North Norfolk coast and a Year 8 residential option to Normandy during Enrichment Week. These are specific, curriculum-rooted examples rather than generic claims.

Sport also reflects the inclusion agenda in a practical way. The inspection narrative references wheelchair basketball as an example of whole-school inclusion, and the published activities list includes wheelchair basketball alongside more conventional options.

The school day runs 08.40 to 15.20, with the site open from 08.20 for breakfast club access. This is helpful for working families who need an earlier handover point, even if after-school childcare is not positioned in the same way it would be for a primary school.

Travel planning is worth doing early. Norfolk County Council maintains a School Bus Times service that lists school transport routes by destination, including this school. For families outside walking range, checking school transport options alongside public bus stops on the Norwich Road corridor can prevent a commute from becoming the daily stress point.

• Consistency in learning. The most recent inspection highlights gaps in curriculum sequencing and uneven assessment that can leave some pupils without the foundations they need. Families should ask how subject leaders are tightening sequencing and how quickly gaps are identified and addressed.

• No on-site sixth form. Although the school is designated 11 to 18, sixth-form provision is no longer in place. This means Year 11 transition planning is a core feature, not an add-on.

• Competition for Year 7 places. The latest published admissions figures show more applications than offers. Families should prioritise deadlines and be realistic about late changes.

• Specialist Resource Base access is separate. The Autism Base uses a referral and panel route, with an expectation of mainstream lesson inclusion and a profile aligned to autism-related barriers rather than complex needs provision. This is a positive option for the right pupils, but it is not the same as a specialist school placement.

Dereham Neatherd High School presents as a mainstream secondary that takes inclusion seriously, with clear expectations for behaviour, purposeful personal development, and an extracurricular programme with real substance. The key development priority is consistency of classroom learning, particularly in how curriculum sequencing and assessment translate into secure progress across subjects.

Who it suits, families seeking a state secondary in Dereham with a strong inclusion ethos, structured behaviour expectations, and visible enrichment options, especially where pupils benefit from clubs, routine, and supportive adaptation in lessons. The main trade-off is that learning consistency is still improving, and post-16 progression requires an external move at 16.