What schools serve Thetford?

There are 27 schools in Thetford, Norfolk, including Redcastle Family School, Drake Primary School, Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell, Sheridan House School and more. You can view each school's catchment area guidance and admissions policy on catchment.school.

How many primary and secondary schools are in Thetford?

Thetford has 20 primary schools and 3 secondary schools. There are also 4 other schools (such as all-through or special schools) in the area. All data is sourced from the Department for Education's GIAS register.

How do I find out if my address is in a school's catchment area in Thetford?

To check whether your address falls within a school's catchment area in Thetford, use the postcode search tool at catchment.school. Catchment area boundaries for Thetford schools are set by Norfolk and reviewed each year. You can also consult the school's admissions policy or contact the Norfolk admissions team directly for the most up-to-date boundary maps.

Who sets catchment area boundaries for schools in Thetford?

Catchment area boundaries for schools in Thetford are set by Norfolk as the admissions authority. Community and voluntary-controlled schools follow the council's published admissions policy, while academies and voluntary-aided schools may set their own. Boundaries are reviewed annually and published each September for the following academic year.

Schools in Thetford

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Thetford is a market town in south Norfolk on the edge of Breckland, with 27 schools - 20 primaries and 3 secondaries. Norfolk County Council co-ordinates admissions and uses a school-specific catchment area model for most community schools. Thetford has grown significantly through planned expansion and has a diverse, multicultural population. The town's primaries include several recently opened or expanded schools to meet housing growth.

Secondary schools in Thetford are The Thetford Academy, Wayland Academy (in nearby Watton), and Iceni Secondary Academy. The Thetford Academy is the main secondary for the town itself. Norfolk does not have grammar schools in this part of the county, so admissions are straightforward comprehensive allocations. Families near the Suffolk border should check whether any Suffolk schools are closer, though cross-county applications are possible.

School demand in Thetford

Across the 27 schools in Thetford with published capacity data, the average fill rate is 81%. 4 of them are currently at or above their published admission number, and at those schools catchment distance is likely to decide places at the next intake.

9 schools in Thetford have a religious character, so faith criteria sit alongside catchment distance in their admissions policies.

19 of the schools in Thetford are academies that set their own admissions criteria independently of Norfolk, so check each school's policy directly rather than assuming the council default applies.

17 of the schools in Thetford have a current Ofsted rating, of which 15 are rated Good or Outstanding. Demand and catchment distance tend to be tightest at the highest-rated schools.

Primary schools in Thetford: 4 oversubscribed (20)

Redcastle Family School

Primary · Community school

Thetford · IP24 3PU

Ages 3-11 269 pupils Capacity 244

Drake Primary School

Primary · Community school

Thetford · IP24 1JW

Ages 4-11 411 pupils Capacity 420

Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Thetford · IP25 7AP

Ages 4-11 109 pupils Capacity 109

Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell

Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Thetford · IP26 4DB

Ages 5-11 156 pupils Capacity 210

Elveden Church of England Primary Academy

Primary · Academy converter

Thetford · IP24 3TN

Ages 4-11 101 pupils Capacity 101

Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School

Primary · Academy converter

Thetford · IP26 4PP

Ages 5-11 85 pupils Capacity 105

The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold

Primary · Academy converter

Thetford · IP26 5NB

Ages 2-11 107 pupils Capacity 121

Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP25 7LF

Ages 2-11 220 pupils Capacity 236

St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery

Primary · Academy converter

Thetford · IP25 6SW

Ages 2-11 231 pupils Capacity 210

The Bishop's Church of England Primary Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP24 1EB

Ages 3-11 359 pupils Capacity 430

Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery School

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP25 6AU

Ages 2-7 273 pupils Capacity 324

Thompson Primary School

Primary · Academy converter

Thetford · IP24 1PY

Ages 4-11 83 pupils Capacity 105

Admirals Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP24 2JT

Ages 7-11 227 pupils Capacity 360

Norwich Road Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP24 2HT

Ages 3-11 309 pupils Capacity 472

Great Hockham Primary School and Nursery

Primary · Academy converter

Thetford · IP24 1PB

Ages 3-11 109 pupils Capacity 117

Raleigh Infant Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP24 2JT

Ages 3-7 131 pupils Capacity 322

Watton Junior School

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP25 6AL

Ages 7-11 299 pupils Capacity 300

Parker's Church of England Primary Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP25 7HP

Ages 3-11 93 pupils Capacity 105

Queensway Junior Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP24 3DP

Ages 7-11 151 pupils Capacity 271

Queensway Infant Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP24 3DR

Ages 4-7 111 pupils Capacity 177

Secondary Schools in Thetford (3)

The Thetford Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP24 1LH

Ages 11-19 1361 pupils Capacity 2050

Wayland Academy

Secondary · Academy converter

Thetford · IP25 6BA

Ages 11-16 548 pupils Capacity 750

Iceni Secondary Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led

Thetford · IP26 4PE

Ages 11-16 582 pupils Capacity 745

Other Schools in Thetford (4)

Sheridan House School

Not applicable · Other independent special school

Thetford · IP26 5LQ

Ages 7-16 66 pupils Capacity 70

The Pinetree School

Not applicable · Free schools alternative provision

Thetford · IP24 3LH

Ages 11-16 39 pupils Capacity 40

The Damara School

Not applicable · Other independent special school

Thetford · IP24 2EA

Ages 5-16 27 pupils Capacity 32

Compass Community School Eld Park

Not applicable · Other independent special school

Thetford · IP24 1EF

Ages 7-17 10 pupils Capacity 36

Catchment area boundaries for schools in Thetford are set by Norfolk and updated each year. The "last distance offered", how far the furthest successful applicant lived, changes annually based on the number of applications received.

Find Norfolk admissions documents → How catchment areas work →

Schools in Thetford

School demand in Thetford

Primary schools in Thetford: 4 oversubscribed (20)

Redcastle Family School

Drake Primary School

Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell

Elveden Church of England Primary Academy

Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School

The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold

Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy

St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery

The Bishop's Church of England Primary Academy

Watton Westfield Infant and Nursery School

Thompson Primary School

Admirals Academy

Norwich Road Academy

Great Hockham Primary School and Nursery

Raleigh Infant Academy

Watton Junior School

Parker's Church of England Primary Academy

Queensway Junior Academy

Queensway Infant Academy

Secondary Schools in Thetford (3)

The Thetford Academy

Wayland Academy

Iceni Secondary Academy

Other Schools in Thetford (4)

Sheridan House School

The Pinetree School

The Damara School

Compass Community School Eld Park

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