Free schools special

The Wherry School

Mixed · ages 4–19 · with sixth formNorfolk, East of England · Norwich NR1 2GBTrust: The Wherry School TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
134of 100 places
Free school meals
30.8%
Year 11 cohort 2025
18
Ofsted
Report card, 14 April 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
What the data says

Of the 15 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Wherry School in 2023, 7% stayed on in The Wherry School’s own sixth form (Norfolk average 33%), 27% went to a further education college and none started an apprenticeship.

GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 26.1 against 46.1 across England and 45.2 in Norfolk, with 11% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Almost nobody goes straight into an apprenticeship or a job: none took an apprenticeship and none went into work, against 3% and 3% across England.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Norfolk and England.

The Wherry School
Norfolk
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThe Wherry SchoolNorfolkEngland
Pupils in the cohort158,553607,348
Any sustained destination93%92%92%
Stayed in education93%85%86%
— school sixth form7%33%34%
— sixth form college0%7%13%
— further education college27%43%37%
— other education60%2%2%
Apprenticeship0%4%3%
Employment0%4%3%
No sustained destination7%6%6%
Destination unknown0%3%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThe Wherry SchoolNorfolkEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)26.145.246.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths11%45%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths33%65%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects0%43%41%
EBacc average point score2.094.054.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort17%25%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils34.134.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils48.850.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language0%12%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Mathematics1478%88%0%22%43%
English Language1478%89%14%20%64%
Combined Science1267%65%0%9%58%
English Literature1267%86%25%21%58%
Psychology844%3%0%22%63%
Art and Design739%7%0%24%29%
History528%41%26%
Music16%5%33%
Photography16%6%19%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Hospitality / Catering Studies8

Other secondary schools in Norfolk

Acle Academy

Academy converter · 709 pupils

90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.9

Attleborough Academy

Academy converter · sixth form · 976 pupils

83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.4

Aylsham High School

Foundation school · 1,138 pupils

84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.0

Caister Academy

Academy sponsor led · 657 pupils

83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.4

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.