St Clement's High School Review 2026: A small secondary built around clear routines and broad enrichment

A calm, ordered school day and an unusually busy enrichment calendar are the headline themes here. The school sets out five core values, Proactive, Respectful, Independent, Determined, Enthusiastic, and they read less like a poster and more like an operational brief for how lessons, behaviour, and pastoral support are organised.

The school sits within the West Norfolk Academies Trust, which matters in practical ways. It provides access to shared expertise and cross-trust collaboration, while keeping the feel of a small local secondary.

The latest Ofsted inspection, completed on 19 and 20 April 2023, confirmed that the school continues to be Good.

The tone is intentionally structured. Students begin the day with registration and tutor time before lessons start, and the timetable makes space for routines that keep relationships steady across the week. The pastoral model is designed to reduce anonymity. Form tutors work with students each morning, and the school describes an expectation that tutor relationships continue as students move through Years 7 to 11.

There is also a clear investment in “available adults”. Pastoral officers are described as non-teaching staff, meaning they can focus on wellbeing, parent liaison, and work with external agencies during the school day rather than being pulled into cover. That structure can be particularly helpful for families who value fast communication and practical problem-solving when issues arise.

The school’s own narrative emphasises community and familiarity, and the inspection evidence supports that picture: pupils describe good relationships with staff and many peers, and bullying is characterised as rare. The same evidence base is also honest about pressure points. A small minority of pupils were reported as making inappropriate comments, with the improvement focus placed on building confidence to report concerns and strengthening mutual respect around protected characteristics.

In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes table, the school is ranked 2,546th in England and 3rd in the King’s Lynn area (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The attainment picture is best read alongside progress. An Attainment 8 score of 41.2 indicates that overall grades across a student’s best eight GCSEs are broadly in the mainstream range for England secondaries, while a Progress 8 score of -0.06 suggests outcomes are close to expected given students’ starting points, with a slight tilt below the national benchmark of zero.

The EBacc indicators show a more selective footprint. The average EBacc point score is 3.72, and 14.1% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above across the EBacc measure. For families who are specifically prioritising a strong EBacc pathway, it is worth looking closely at subject uptake and the school’s option guidance at Key Stage 4, particularly around languages and humanities.

A practical way to use these numbers is comparative. Parents weighing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to line up GCSE ranking, Attainment 8, and Progress 8 side-by-side, rather than trying to interpret each metric in isolation.

Curriculum intent is described as ambitious, with subject development work that is visible in specific areas. Modern foreign languages is a good example. The curriculum work includes a strengthened focus on language learning, including the introduction of Spanish, with the stated aim of increasing uptake. For students who enjoy languages, this matters because it tends to improve sequencing, specialist staffing, and continuity into Key Stage 4.

Classroom practice is framed around clarity and routine. The inspection evidence highlights subject knowledge and effective questioning, with teachers adapting explanations so most pupils keep up. That combination usually benefits students who like lessons to move with purpose, and who respond well to teachers checking understanding frequently rather than relying on end-of-unit tests alone.

Reading support is also explicitly described. The school identifies pupils who struggle with reading and provides targeted help, and the library is presented as a genuine part of learning rather than a decorative space. For parents, the key question is how quickly needs are identified in Year 7 and what a typical intervention package looks like (frequency, staffing, and expected milestones). The school’s documentation suggests the intent is there, and a visit is the best way to test the operational detail.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the key transition is post-16. The practical implication is that students will need a clear pathway plan during Year 10 and Year 11, with options typically spanning sixth form, further education, and apprenticeships.

Careers education is most useful when it is experiential, not just advisory. The school highlights structured enrichment and a broad set of opportunities that build character and interests, alongside explicit attention to technical routes and apprenticeships information. When comparing options, families may want to ask how employer encounters work in practice (talks, workplace visits, hands-on projects), and how the school supports students who need confidence-building around the transition.

Applications for Year 7 are coordinated through the local authority, and the school publishes an admissions timetable for September 2026 transfer. The published dates include applications opening on 11 September 2025 and closing on 31 October 2025, with the national offer day shown as 2 March 2026.

Oversubscription is a recurring feature. Norfolk’s Schoolfinder records the school as oversubscribed for September 2024 and again for September 2025. When demand exceeds places, the published priority order includes children with an EHCP naming the school and children in care, then pupils living in the area served by the school, followed by siblings, service premium, certain staff criteria, and then named feeder primary schools outside the catchment.

Because distance and catchment dynamics can shift year to year, families making a housing decision should validate eligibility carefully. The FindMySchool Map Search is the most efficient way to check how your address sits against published criteria and recent allocation patterns, then you can confirm the detail through the local authority admissions guidance.

Open events are referenced as part of autumn-term transition arrangements, alongside individual visits. If listed dates have already passed, the safest assumption is that open evenings typically run in the autumn term, but families should check the school calendar for the current cycle.

Pastoral care is treated as a system, not a slogan. The design includes daily tutor contact, a year-based structure with heads of year, and pastoral officers who can focus on wellbeing and family communication. That architecture usually suits students who benefit from predictable check-ins and who may not proactively seek help unless there is a clear route to it.

The wider support offer signposted through Norfolk’s Schoolfinder is more detailed than many mainstream secondaries publish. It references nurture provision, therapeutic play, and Lego or block therapy, plus access to a qualified counsellor and a named mental health lead role. It also lists a “TITAN” travel training element within an independence curriculum offer. For families of students who need help with confidence, organisation, or independent travel, those specifics are worth exploring in conversation, especially around eligibility and frequency.

The 2023 inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective and describes trained staff and accurate record-keeping.

Extracurricular provision is unusually specific, which is often a good proxy for how well it runs. The school names clubs that appeal to a broad range of students, including Eco Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club, Warhammer Club, Lego Club, and Chess Club. The implication is that quieter students, or those who prefer structured social activity, have visible routes into belonging that do not depend on sport.

STEM and academic enrichment has its own branding. The school highlights a Technology Tournament and visiting scientist lectures, which suggests that science and technology extend beyond normal lessons into activities that reward curiosity and practical thinking. For students considering technical routes later, that kind of exposure can help them make informed choices at Key Stage 4.

Sport is presented through a house match model and after-school fixtures, with scope beyond the traditional menu. The school explicitly mentions archery and fishing as options alongside mainstream sports clubs. That matters for students who enjoy physical activity but do not see themselves as conventional team-sport players.

Trips are a defining feature. The school lists a bi-annual ski trip to Austria, a recurring creative arts trip to New York, and a Japan trip in 2019, alongside annual visits linked to history and languages to France and Germany, plus regular trips to Parliament, West End theatres, and national galleries. These experiences can be formative, but families should budget for the reality that residential and overseas travel is typically an additional cost at state schools.

The published school-day timings run from registration at 08:40 to the end of Period 5 at 15:10, with after-school clubs and detentions scheduled from 15:10. During exam season, the school notes that it may operate an adjusted split day to accommodate extended sessions.

Transport is routed through local authority arrangements, with families directed to apply via Norfolk County Council. The practical next step is to confirm eligibility for funded transport early, particularly for families outside the immediate area served by the school.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Usual costs for families are likely to include uniform, equipment, some trips, and optional music tuition or enrichment activities.

• Post-16 transition planning matters. The school’s age range ends at 16, so families should focus early on what comes next and how the school supports that planning through Year 10 and Year 11.

• Respect and culture work is an active priority. The inspection evidence highlights a positive baseline and also identifies the need to address inappropriate comments and strengthen reporting confidence. For some families, it will be reassuring that the issue is explicitly identified; others may want to probe how it is being handled day-to-day.

• Oversubscription is part of the picture. Local authority information records oversubscription in recent admission rounds, so securing a place may depend on meeting priority criteria.

• Trips can be a major benefit and a budget consideration. The scale of travel opportunities is a strength, but the associated costs can add up across a school career.

This is a values-led, tightly organised 11 to 16 school that pairs structured routines with enrichment that goes well beyond the basics. Academic outcomes sit in the mainstream band for England, and the school’s strongest differentiators are pastoral architecture, a broad club offer, and travel and cultural opportunities.

Best suited to families who want a smaller secondary with clear expectations, predictable routines, and plenty of routes into belonging beyond sport. The limiting factor is likely to be admissions priority rather than appetite from families, so it rewards careful planning and early engagement with the Year 7 admissions timetable.