Hethersett Academy Review 2026: High-expectation 11 to 16 provision in South Norfolk

A large, academically ambitious 11 to 16 academy in Hethersett, serving families in and around Norwich, with strong outcomes and a highly structured approach to behaviour and learning. The most recent Ofsted inspection (27 to 28 September 2022, published 11 November 2022) confirmed that the academy continues to be Outstanding and that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

On headline performance, the GCSE picture is consistently strong. Hethersett’s Attainment 8 score is 58.2 and its Progress 8 score is +1.13, indicating students make well above average progress from their starting points.

The academy is sizeable, with a school capacity of 1,350 and over 1,200 students on roll in the most recent public datasets, which brings breadth of curriculum and peer group, alongside the need for clear routines and strong pastoral systems.

Expect an environment built around clarity, routine, and high standards. Behaviour expectations are explicit and consistently reinforced, with daily routines framed through the “Hethersett 10”, a simple set of habits that makes corridors and classrooms feel orderly and purposeful.

Students are given a meaningful voice in how the school develops day to day facilities. The inspection evidence points to practical improvements that have come directly from student feedback, including covered outdoor seating areas, water fountains, and table tennis tables, which matters because it signals a culture where students are listened to, and where the basics of school life are well-managed.

This is also a school that has grown. It opened as an academy in November 2013 under Inspiration Trust and has doubled in size since the previous full inspection, which makes leadership discipline and operational systems especially important.

Leadership is clearly defined in public records. The principal is Ms Jane Diver, with the title appearing as Headteacher or Principal in government and local authority listings. Public sources reviewed did not reliably state the appointment date, so this review avoids pinning a start year to the role.

The core headline is strong progress. A Progress 8 score of +1.13 is a very high figure for a state secondary and indicates students, on average, achieve substantially better GCSE outcomes than peers nationally with similar prior attainment.

In FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official outcomes data), Hethersett Academy is ranked 531st in England for GCSE outcomes and 4th locally in the Norwich area, placing it above England average and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

The EBacc indicators add useful nuance. The average EBacc APS score is 5.56, which suggests solid performance across the EBacc subject suite, and 49% of pupils achieve grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure reported.

Families comparing options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these outcome measures side by side with other local secondaries, as the local picture can vary sharply by intake and admissions rules.

Teaching is anchored in a broad and balanced curriculum, with an emphasis on building knowledge carefully over time. Leaders adapt trust-wide curriculum plans for the local intake, and the sequence of learning is designed so that ideas accumulate in a logical order rather than being taught as disconnected units.

Assessment practice is described as frequent and purposeful. Quizzing is used to identify what students remember, teachers check understanding consistently, and feedback is designed to be prompt so that misconceptions do not linger. The implication for families is that students who respond well to structured teaching, clear success criteria, and regular recall practice tend to thrive in this model.

Reading is treated as a whole-curriculum priority, not a bolt-on. Students access “high-quality texts across many subjects” and literacy is supported through clear identification of students who struggle with reading, followed by targeted support intended to help them catch up quickly.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities is framed as a classroom-first approach. Teachers are expected to know the needs of students in their classes and adapt delivery through clear instructions and appropriate resources, rather than relying solely on withdrawal from lessons.

Because the academy is 11 to 16, most families will be planning a post-16 move from the start of Year 11. The inspection evidence indicates that “a large proportion” of students continue their studies at local sixth forms, with guidance designed to match students to settings that suit their A-level subject intentions.

The practical implication is that post-16 choice is a meaningful part of the Hethersett journey. Families who want a single setting from Year 7 through Year 13 should weigh this carefully, while those who value the ability to choose a sixth form or college that best fits their child’s interests often see the 16-plus transition as an advantage.

In the absence of a school-published destinations breakdown within the accessible official sources reviewed, this section avoids naming specific providers as “typical” outcomes. Parents should expect the school to discuss local post-16 routes during open events and Year 11 guidance, particularly for A-level pathways, technical qualifications, and apprenticeships.

Applications for Year 7 places are coordinated through Norfolk County Council, with a county timetable that parents must follow. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 11 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025. National Offer Day is 02 March 2026, with appeals closing by 27 March 2026.

Hethersett is described as oversubscribed in the most recent inspection report, and county level sources for school information also frame it as a popular option. Competition for places is therefore a realistic consideration for many families, especially those outside priority categories.

The published admissions policy information (via Norfolk’s Schoolfinder listings) indicates a priority order that typically begins with looked-after and previously looked-after children, then siblings, then children of staff (in defined circumstances), followed by named feeder schools, then distance as a tie-breaker using straight-line measurement. Families should read the full determined policy for the relevant year to confirm definitions, particularly around sibling and feeder school rules.

Planned admission numbers are published as 265 for 2026 to 27, which gives a sense of cohort size and the scale of competition.

Parents considering this academy should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their precise home-to-school distance and compare it with the way distance is used in the policy. Even where distance is only one part of the criteria, it is often decisive once higher priority groups have been placed.

Wellbeing support is multi-layered in local authority listings, including mental health first aid leadership, a qualified counsellor, a mental health champion, and an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) role. This matters because it suggests the school expects demand for early intervention and structured pastoral support, rather than relying on informal pastoral coverage alone.

The behavioural culture is designed to protect learning time. Systems are described as consistent, with routines that help students understand expectations and the consequences of choices. In practice, this suits students who want calm classrooms and clear boundaries, and it can also be helpful for students who benefit from predictable structures.

Anti-bullying culture is framed as proactive, with bullying described as rare and dealt with promptly if it occurs. The key implication for parents is that students should know exactly how to report concerns and what will happen next, and families should test this during open events by asking how reporting, follow-up, and communication work in real cases.

Enrichment is presented less as a marketing extra and more as part of the school’s operating model. Students are reported to attend a wide variety of clubs and activities, and the school runs inter-house and inter-trust competitions which extend participation beyond the classroom and can be a strong motivator for students who enjoy belonging to a team or house identity.

Even small facilities choices reinforce that approach. Student-led improvements such as covered outdoor seating areas, water fountains, and table tennis tables matter because they create the conditions for positive social time at break and lunchtime, which in turn tends to support behaviour and attendance.

Careers education also appears to be treated as a whole-year-group entitlement rather than an opt-in. The inspection evidence references high-quality experiences of the world of work for every Year 10 student, which is a meaningful commitment at scale. The benefit is practical: students start to link GCSE subject choices to real pathways early, rather than waiting until Year 11.

Because a live, term-by-term club list was not available from the accessible official sources reviewed, parents should ask directly for the current programme, and specifically whether enrichment is offered at lunchtimes, after school, or both.

Hethersett Academy is a state-funded secondary, so there are no tuition fees. Families should still budget for typical school costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional activities.

Local authority listings indicate inclusive before-school and after-school provision, which is a helpful practical feature for working families. Details such as hours, booking process, and pricing can change, so parents should confirm the current arrangements directly with the school.

The school runs open evenings according to county listings. Exact dates vary year to year, so families targeting a future Year 7 start should expect open events to cluster in early autumn and should check the school’s event booking information as the admissions window approaches.

• 11 to 16 only. Post-16 education requires a move to a sixth form or college, which will suit students who want fresh options at 16, but it can feel like a disruption for those seeking one institution through Year 13.

• A large, fast-growing setting. The academy has doubled in size since the previous full inspection, which brings breadth and opportunity, but some students find very large cohorts less personal than smaller secondaries.

• Oversubscription is a real factor. The most recent inspection describes the school as oversubscribed. Families outside priority groups should treat admission as competitive and plan alternatives carefully.

• Highly structured culture. Routines and systems are a strength here. Students who strongly prefer looser boundaries, or who struggle with consistent expectations, may find the approach demanding, particularly in the early settling-in period.

Hethersett Academy combines high expectations, strong progress outcomes, and a clear, consistent behavioural culture. It is best suited to families who want a purposeful 11 to 16 secondary with structured teaching and routines, and who are comfortable planning a separate sixth form or college route at 16. The main practical hurdle is admission, particularly for families who are not in priority groups under the published policy.