School profile

Wayland Academy

Secondary · Academy converter · Thetford, IP25 6BA

Good

Map showing Wayland Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#963 of 3,312

Better than 70% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Wayland Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 11 Jul 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils564 of 708 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Lucy Austin
TrustINSPIRATION TRUST
Local authorityNorfolk
Opened01 Mar 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 137949.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolNorfolkEngland
Attainment 8 score50.244.546.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths74.7%63.4%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths60.6%43%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths19.2%10%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths69.7%58%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 499--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils564
Girls282
Boys282
Eligible for free school meals27.8%
First language not English21.1%
SEN support52
EHC plan24
Average class size28.2

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
77.8%
Other White
11%
Other ethnic group
2.5%
White and Asian
2.1%
Indian
1.1%
Gypsy/Roma
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.9%
African
0.9%
Other Asian
0.7%
Other mixed
0.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolNorfolkEngland
Overall absence5.6%8.7%8%
Persistent absence13.4%22.6%21.6%
Severe absence2.1%4.4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)137
Applications (Year 7)167
First preference applications (Year 7)140
First preference offers (Year 7)134
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places708
Pupils on roll555
Unfilled places21.6%
Sixth form places2020/21200
Sixth form pupils on roll2020/210

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.7
Pupils per adult11.3
Teachers (FTE)31.86
Teaching assistants (FTE)9.24
Support staff (FTE)23.7
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2531.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2530.9
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/251

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate17.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.6%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions1

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination93.4%
Staying in education85.8%
Further education52.8%
School sixth form32.1%
Apprenticeship4.7%
Not sustained3.8%
Employment2.8%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Wayland Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryWatton Westfield Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryWatton Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
1.6 miPrimaryParker's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good

Frequently asked questions about Wayland Academy

What is Wayland Academy's Ofsted rating?

Wayland Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 11 Jul 2023.

How does Wayland Academy rank in England?

Wayland Academy ranks 963 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 70% of schools).

How many pupils attend Wayland Academy?

Wayland Academy has 564 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 708.

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.