Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
23 Cromer Road, Overstrand, Cromer, NR27 0NT
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Nicholas Read
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
- Constituency
- North Norfolk
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 140
- Pupils on roll
- 130
- URN
- 121123
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01263576040
About this school
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Cromer. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 130 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. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 11 November 2021, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 48% | 67% | 65% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 5% | 14% | 5% |
| Expected standard in reading | 81% | 86% | 65% |
| Expected standard in maths | 62% | 81% | 75% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 81% | 90% | 70% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 109.0 | 102.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.20 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -4.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.90 | - | - |
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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 | 48% | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 67% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 65% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 145 |
| 2023/24 | 137 |
| 2024/25 | 130 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School compares
Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School ranked 80th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 47% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 65% | 5.6% | 11.5% | 130 | — |
| Northrepps Primary School | — | 9.7% | 13.2% | 35 | 0.8 miles |
| Suffield Park Infant and Nursery School, Cromer | — | 6% | 19.2% | 126 | 1.2 miles |
| Cromer Junior School | 42% | 5.6% | 30% | 255 | 1.3 miles |
| St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy | 58% | 5.1% | 36.8% | 61 | 2.6 miles |
| Antingham and Southrepps Primary School | — | 10.2% | 19.5% | 37 | 3.6 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)
- 11.54%
- English as an additional language
- 2.3%
- Overall absence
- 5.57%
- Persistent absence
- 10.32%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Northrepps Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Cromer
-
Suffield Park Infant and Nursery School, Cromer1.2 miles
Primary · Cromer
-
Cromer Junior School1.3 miles
Primary · Cromer
-
St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy2.6 miles
Primary · Norwich
-
Antingham and Southrepps Primary School3.6 miles
Primary · Norwich
Other schools in Cromer
- Cromer Junior School Primary
- Northrepps Primary School Primary
- Suffield Park Infant and Nursery School, Cromer Primary
- Cromer Academy Secondary
- Sidestrand Hall School Special schools
- St Andrew's School Special schools
- Beeston Hall School Independent schools
Common questions
- What year groups does Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School teach?
- Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Cromer.
- Who is the headteacher of Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
- The headteacher of Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Mr Nicholas Read, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
- Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 130 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School full?
- Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has capacity for 140 pupils and 130 on roll (93%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Norwich.
- Does Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 48% in 2022/23 and 65% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School rank locally?
- Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School ranked 80th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 47% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's absence rate?
- Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Overstrand, the Belfry, Church of England Voluntary Aided 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.