West Norfolk Academies Trust

UID 5275·Companies House 07546118·Incorporated February 2011·Compare

Schools

Flags

15 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Jan 2026Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2026/27Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£38.2m

5,102 pupils

Avg staff costs

77.7%

of income

Avg reserves

15.0%

of income

Avg absence

More metrics

Avg FSM

24.1%

free school meals

Capacity

99%

5,102 / 5,176 places

Total admin cost

£2.8m

£545 per pupil

Trust overview

5 of 11 schools report staff costs above the DfE's 78% review point. Staffing ratios reflect phase mix, curriculum and local context as much as efficiency.

1 of 11 schools hold reserves below the DfE's 5% reference point.

Trust-average reserves have fallen about 4 percentage points over two years of published returns.

6 of 11 schools spent more than their income in the latest year. Single-year deficits are common around growth, building works or falling rolls; multi-year patterns matter more than one snapshot.

Absence is at or below the national average in 7 of 11 schools.

5 schools report persistent absence above 20%, a level the DfE prioritises for additional support.

All 11 inspected schools meet the expected standard or above — Good or better under the legacy framework, or Expected standard or above under the Report Card.

1 of these inspections used the new Report Card framework; its scale is not directly comparable with legacy grades.

Generated from published DfE and Ofsted data — year-end snapshots that cannot show in-year plans, restructuring or local context. Reference points are DfE review thresholds, not judgements.

Ofsted & results

Ofsted

100%meeting standard or above

Across 11 graded schools, including 1 under the new Report Card framework. The two frameworks are not directly comparable.

Sub-judgements — earlier framework

Quality of education

100% Good+

Good 5

Behaviour & attitudes

100% Good+

Good 5

Personal development

100% Good+

Outst. 1Good 4

Leadership & management

100% Good+

Good 11

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

44.5

-1.8

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

62.7%

+1.7pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressQueensway, King's Lynn, PE30 4AW

Companies House07546118

Incorporated28 February 2011

Report Card inspections (new framework)

About these grades

Grade distribution across 1 schoolinspected under Ofsted's 5-point scale (from November 2025). Not directly comparable with the earlier 1–4 sub-judgements above.

Curriculum & teaching

Expected standard 1

Achievement

Expected standard 1

Inclusion

Expected standard 1

Attendance & behaviour

Expected standard 1

Personal development

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	11	5,108	£31.7m	£31.8m	77.6%	20.6%
2022/23	11	5,064	£34.0m	£32.6m	73.4%	21.3%
2023/24	11	5,054	£37.1m	£35.1m	72.2%	19.5%
2024/25partial	11	5,102	£38.2m	£36.1m	77.7%	15.0%
2025/26	11	5,113	—	—	—	—

Central services

2024/25

Centralisation

5.2%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£1,978,000

CS staff costs

£1,119,000

CS income

£58,000

Admin & clerical£580,000

Teaching staff£489,000

ICT£252,000

Premises£79,000

Legal & professional£159,000

Auditor costs£19,000

Governance

Source: Companies House

Board of trustees

Accounts to Aug 2025

12 current directors · Average tenure: 8.4 years · 1 change in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (12)

Jane Isobel Middleton-jones

director·1 year

Dorothy Ann Pulsford-harris

director·1 year

Timothy John Allen

director·3 years

Roger Wood

director·4 years

Pauline Anne King

director·6 years

Mark Harold Ballman

director·7 years

Paul Bland

director·10 years

Peter David Harris

director·11 years

Kevin Andrew Baldwin

director·12 years

Anthony Robert Yates

director·13 years

Andrew Michael Johnson

director·13 years

Roger Henry Livesey

director·13 years

13 former officers — most recent departure: Mar 2026

John Michael Brannon

director·5 years·Resigned May 2021

Tracey Lorraine Cornwell

director·6 years·Resigned Aug 2024

Robert Peter Lodge

director·6 years·Resigned Mar 2026

Lesley Bambridge

director·9 years·Resigned Nov 2019

Nicholas John Daubney

director·9 years·Resigned May 2023

Alan Taylor

Member schools (11)

11 schools|11 with risk flags|13 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Clenchwarton Primary School	141465	Primary	high staff costsin year deficitperformance decline
Gaywood Primary School	144532	Primary	workforce pressure
Heacham Infant and Nursery School	143462	Primary	workforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
Heacham Junior School	142842	Primary	in year deficitworkforce pressurehigh staff costs
Marshland High School	142396	Secondary	high absenceworkforce pressure
Smithdon High School	143520	Secondary	workforce pressurehigh absence
Snettisham Primary School	140852	Primary	high absenceworkforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
Springwood High School	136515	Secondary	high absenceworkforce pressure
St Clement's High School	140557	Secondary	high absence
Walpole Cross Keys Primary School	142751	Primary	workforce pressure
West Lynn Primary School	141168	Primary	workforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit