Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School
19 Ryston Road, Denver, Downham Market, PE38 0DP
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Louise Jones
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ely
- Constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 112
- Pupils on roll
- 108
- URN
- 121069
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01366383272
About this school
Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Downham Market. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 108 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 60% | 69% | 76% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 19% | 6% |
| Expected standard in reading | 73% | 75% | 76% |
| Expected standard in maths | 73% | 88% | 88% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 80% | 81% | 76% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 107.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 106.0 | 107.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +2.90 | - | - |
| Writing progress | 0.00 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +2.70 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Norfolk average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 60% | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 69% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 76% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 3.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 101 |
| 2023/24 | 106 |
| 2024/25 | 108 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School compares
Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 26th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 80% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 69% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 76% | 4.6% | 20.4% | 108 | — |
| Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School | 71% | 4.9% | 21.4% | 404 | 1.2 miles |
| Nelson Academy | 63% | 6.5% | 35% | 386 | 1.2 miles |
| Wimbotsham and Stow Academy | 56% | 5.3% | 8.8% | 106 | 2.1 miles |
| Hilgay Riverside Academy | 60% | 5.6% | 33.8% | 75 | 2.2 miles |
| Holy Cross Church of England Primary School | 40% | 2.7% | 33.3% | 55 | 4.4 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 20.37%
- English as an additional language
- 7.4%
- Overall absence
- 4.63%
- Persistent absence
- 8.51%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School1.2 miles
Primary · Downham Market
-
Nelson Academy1.2 miles
Primary · Downham Market
-
Wimbotsham and Stow Academy2.1 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
-
Hilgay Riverside Academy2.2 miles
Primary · Downham Market
-
Holy Cross Church of England Primary School4.4 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
Other schools in Downham Market
Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranks 1st of the 5 ranked primary schools in Downham Market.
- Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School Primary
- Hilgay Riverside Academy Primary
- Nelson Academy Primary
- Southery Academy Primary
- Downham Market Academy Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School teach?
- Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Downham Market.
- Who is the headteacher of Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- The headteacher of Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Mrs Louise Jones, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 108 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School full?
- Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School has capacity for 112 pupils and 108 on roll (96%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Ely.
- Does Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 60% in 2022/23 and 76% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School rank locally?
- Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 26th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 80% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 69% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School's absence rate?
- Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.