Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School
Hythe Road, Methwold, Thetford, IP26 4PP
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- GRACE SCHOOLS
- Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Julia Christou
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ely
- Sponsor
- Grace Schools
- Constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 91
- URN
- 140712
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01366728280
About this school
Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Thetford. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 91 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out 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
Ofsted did not give an overall grade. Between September 2024 and September 2025 inspections graded each area of a school's work without a single overall judgement, ahead of the move to report cards. 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 | 14 | 12 | 15 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 29% | 50% | 47% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 8% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 36% | 58% | 53% |
| Expected standard in maths | 36% | 50% | 60% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 29% | 58% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 99.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 97.0 | 98.0 | 100.0 |
| Reading progress | -3.20 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -3.60 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -4.00 | - | - |
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 Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE 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 | 29% | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 50% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 47% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 97 |
| 2023/24 | 87 |
| 2024/25 | 85 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School compares
Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School ranked 196th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 18% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 30% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 47% | 6.5% | 24.7% | 91 | — |
| The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold | 75% | 6.3% | 26.3% | 101 | 2.0 miles |
| Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell | 68% | 4.8% | 21.2% | 156 | 2.5 miles |
| All Saints Academy | 93% | 4% | 26% | 97 | 3.7 miles |
| Iceni Primary Academy | 80% | 3.6% | 10.5% | 103 | 4.1 miles |
| Mundford Church of England Primary Academy | 60% | 4.9% | 12.1% | 239 | 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)
- 24.71%
- English as an additional language
- 8.2%
- Overall absence
- 6.5%
- Persistent absence
- 21.62%
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold2.0 miles
Primary · Thetford
-
Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell2.5 miles
Primary · Thetford
-
All Saints Academy3.7 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
-
Iceni Primary Academy4.1 miles
Primary · Hockwold Cum Wilton
- 4.4 miles
Other schools in Thetford
Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School ranks 13th of the 17 ranked primary schools in Thetford.
- Admirals Academy Primary
- Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Drake Primary School Primary
- Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell Primary
- Elveden Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Great Hockham Primary School and Nursery Primary
- Norwich Road Academy Primary
- Parker's Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Queensway Infant Academy Primary
- Queensway Junior Academy Primary
- Raleigh Infant Academy Primary
- Redcastle Family School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School teach?
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Thetford.
- Who is the executive headteacher of Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School?
- The executive headteacher of Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School is Mrs Julia Christou, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE 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 many pupils are at Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School?
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School has 91 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School full?
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School has capacity for 105 pupils and 91 on roll (87%), 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 Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Ely.
- Does Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School is part of GRACE SCHOOLS. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 29% in 2022/23 and 47% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School compare with other schools in Norfolk?
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School ranked 196th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 18% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 30% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 6.5% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE 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 1 July 2026.