Taverham High School Review 2026: Broad secondary with a clear focus on expectations

Taverham High School is a mixed 11 to 18 academy serving the Taverham area and neighbouring villages, with sixth form as part of the main school. Its ethos is framed around three pillars, Inspire, Empower, Achieve, with a strong emphasis on helping students build knowledge, confidence and personal responsibility.

Leadership has been a recent point of change. Mr Gareth Yassin was appointed headteacher from 01 September 2024, following a period as acting head of school and earlier work as deputy headteacher responsible for curriculum.

The latest Ofsted inspection (May 2023; report published June 2023) rated the school Good overall and Good across the key judgement areas, including sixth form.

This is a school that positions expectations clearly. The inspection evidence points to a culture where students typically feel safe, social times are settled, and pupils are described as tolerant and accepting of difference. The student leadership model is also visible, with roles such as diversity ambassadors and a structured approach to student leadership and house activity.

The school’s own story matters here. It opened in September 1979, with its first headteacher, Jean Daines, appointed during the planning phase in 1978. That foundation narrative is unusually detailed and gives parents a sense of how deliberately the school was designed around mixed ability teaching structures, pastoral systems and curriculum thinking.

For families, the practical implication is that Taverham High tends to present as purposeful rather than showy. The best fit is often for students who respond well to clear routines, well-defined behaviour expectations, and a school that expects students to engage seriously with learning and the wider programme.

At GCSE level, the school’s latest results profile sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Its GCSE outcomes are ranked 1443rd in England and 13th in the Norwich area (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). Progress 8 is slightly positive at +0.06, suggesting students make marginally above-average progress from their starting points. Attainment 8 is 47.9.

EBacc indicators are mixed. The EBacc average point score is 4.36, and 23.4% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure reported.

At A-level, outcomes are ranked 1692nd in England and 12th in the Norwich area (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This sits below England average overall, when benchmarked on national distributions. Grade proportions show 2.87% at A*, 14.37% at A, 22.99% at B, and 40.23% at A* to B. The comparable England average for A* to B is 47.2%, and for A* to A is 23.6%, so Taverham’s A-level profile is somewhat lower on these headline measures.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub pages can help you view these outcomes side-by-side, using the Comparison Tool to keep context consistent across schools.

The May 2023 inspection evidence is strongest on curriculum ambition and teacher subject knowledge. Students learn the intended curriculum well in many subjects, and teachers routinely check what students know, then respond with guidance or targeted support to close gaps.

Sixth form teaching is described as closely tailored to student needs, with leaders planning sixth form provision around student interests and staff providing individualised guidance. The practical takeaway is that post-16 students who need a combination of structure and support should find a programme that aims to be personal rather than anonymous.

Where the school is still sharpening practice is consistency. Inspection evidence notes that a small minority of subjects were not as effective, affecting how securely students could recall and apply key knowledge. For families, that points to the value of asking subject-level questions at open events, especially if your child has a clear subject preference.

Where Students Go Next

Destination data for the latest reported cohort (60 leavers in the 2023 to 2024 period) shows 48% progressed to university, 2% to further education, 5% to apprenticeships, and 23% to employment. This is a varied profile, with a meaningful proportion moving directly into work, which often matters to families prioritising employability and practical readiness alongside academic routes.

Oxbridge activity is present but at small scale, with three applications in the measurement period and one acceptance. For a comprehensive intake school, that can be a useful signal that highly academic pathways are supported when individual students are ready for them.

Year 7 places are coordinated through Norfolk County Council. For September 2026 entry, the council timetable sets applications opening on 11 September 2025, closing on 31 October 2025, with offer day on 02 March 2026. Appeals and late applications close on 27 March 2026, and the mini admission round begins on 01 April 2026. Waiting lists for oversubscribed schools run until 31 December 2026.

For 2026 to 2027, the school’s published admission number for Year 7 is 220. Oversubscription is managed through priority criteria including children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, looked-after and previously looked-after children, catchment area residence, siblings, feeder school links and distance. The school describes its traditional catchment as including Taverham, Drayton, Thorpe Marriott and Ringland, and it names Drayton VC Junior and Taverham VC Junior as feeder schools within the admissions framework.

The local authority’s own schoolfinder page states the school was oversubscribed for September 2025 entry.

If you are judging the realism of admission from your address, it is worth using FindMySchool’s Map Search tools alongside the local authority’s measurement method, because distance and patterns of demand can change year by year.

Pastoral strength sits in the school’s routines and in the breadth of personal development activity referenced in official evidence. Students learn about relationships, consent and citizenship through a planned personal, social and health education programme, and there are mechanisms for students to take responsibility through leadership roles and structured enrichment.

The May 2023 inspection confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective, including recruitment checks, staff training, and timely follow-up on concerns with external agencies where needed.

One area to probe as a parent is how the school communicates around bullying concerns. Official evidence notes that while bullying is not tolerated and leaders act when concerns are raised, a minority of pupils and parents were not always confident about how fully issues were resolved, partly because recording and follow-up communication could be stronger. That is a useful question to raise at open events, particularly if your child is anxious about peer dynamics.

The extracurricular offer has several identifiable strands rather than one generic list.

Sport and fitness has both team and participation elements. The inspection evidence references a Couch to 5k club and opportunities for girls’ football success, pointing to sport that is accessible rather than limited to a narrow performance group.

Clubs and societies include options that map onto modern student interests as well as the expected academic and arts mix. Published clubs information for 2025 to 2026 includes Music Tech Club, a Samba Group or Band, Ukulele Club, Pride, and a Games club focused on console and PC gaming, alongside hockey and netball.

The inspection evidence also highlights e-sports as a club students value.

Outdoor education and longer-term enrichment is unusually explicit. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award runs at Bronze (Year 9), Silver (starting Year 10), and Gold (Year 12), with expedition structures that include assessed expeditions in Norfolk, Suffolk and the Peak District across the award levels.

Separately, the THS Expeditions model is framed as a multi-year process involving planning, fundraising and training, rather than a single trip, which can be a good indicator of how seriously the school takes student development beyond exams.

The implication for families is clear. Students who engage in clubs, leadership, or longer-term programmes often gain the most from Taverham High, because many of the school’s strengths relate to responsibility, identity and belonging, not only classroom performance.

The school day is structured from 08:30, with lessons through to 15:00 and a sixth period (used for sixth form and catch-up classes) running 15:00 to 16:00.

Transport and travel can matter for this school because it serves a wider area than a single neighbourhood. The school notes that transport is provided from the Queen’s Hills area of Costessey and Longwater Lane, subject to a charge set by the school.

For day-to-day planning, families should also check term dates published by the school, since these can differ from feeder schools.

• Admission pressure is real. The local authority describes the school as oversubscribed for September 2025 entry, and the admissions rules include catchment, siblings, feeder links and distance. Families outside the catchment should assess the risk of not securing a place.

• Bullying follow-up is a key question. Official evidence points to a need for stronger recording and clearer communication around bullying concerns to ensure pupils feel issues are fully resolved. Ask what has changed since the last inspection cycle.

• A-level outcomes are weaker than England averages on headline measures. Students who are highly focused on top-grade A-level profiles may want to explore subject-level support, class sizes and guidance structures in detail before committing to sixth form here.

• Consistency varies by subject. The inspection evidence highlights that a small minority of subjects were less effective, so it is sensible to ask about staffing stability and curriculum support in the subjects your child cares about most.

Taverham High School is a well-organised 11 to 18 comprehensive with clear expectations, a settled core culture, and a credible enrichment programme that includes leadership, clubs aligned to modern interests, and sustained outdoor education routes. GCSE performance sits broadly in line with the middle range for England, while A-level outcomes are less strong on headline measures. Best suited to students who respond well to structure, benefit from teachers checking understanding regularly, and will take advantage of clubs, leadership and long-term enrichment, with families who are comfortable asking detailed questions about pastoral follow-up and subject consistency.