Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
Pound Green, Shipdham, Thetford, IP25 7LF
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE DIOCESE OF NORWICH EDUCATION AND ACADEMIES TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Shannon O'Sullivan
- Diocese
- Diocese of Norwich
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust
- Constituency
- Mid Norfolk
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 236
- Pupils on roll
- 229
- URN
- 141192
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01362820300
About this school
Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Thetford. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 229 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy, 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
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
A short monitoring inspection followed on : inspectors found the school has improved significantly.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 85% | 85% | 96% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 26% | 11% | 18% |
| Expected standard in reading | 89% | 89% | 96% |
| Expected standard in maths | 100% | 89% | 100% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 96% | 85% | 100% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 110.0 | 111.0 | 110.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 110.0 | 111.0 | 110.0 |
| Reading progress | +3.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +1.40 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +4.20 | - | - |
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 Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy 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 | 85% | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 85% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 96% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 218 |
| 2023/24 | 222 |
| 2024/25 | 220 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy compares
Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy ranked 1st of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 99% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 81% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 96% | 4.1% | 14.8% | 229 | — |
| Toftwood Infant School | — | 4.9% | 12.5% | 205 | 3.0 miles |
| Dereham, Toftwood Community Junior School | 59% | 4.3% | 18.2% | 321 | 3.1 miles |
| St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery | 52% | 5% | 18.3% | 234 | 3.4 miles |
| Dereham Church of England Junior Academy | 54% | 4.5% | 37.7% | 365 | 3.4 miles |
| Scarning Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 57% | 4.8% | 20.8% | 415 | 3.5 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.
Inspection history
-
Ungraded inspection report2 April 2025
- 8 January 2020
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 14.81%
- English as an additional language
- 1.8%
- Overall absence
- 4.1%
- Persistent absence
- 5.68%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Toftwood Infant School3.0 miles
Primary · Dereham
-
Dereham, Toftwood Community Junior School3.1 miles
Primary · Dereham
-
St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary Academy & Nursery3.4 miles
Primary · Thetford
-
Dereham Church of England Junior Academy3.4 miles
Primary · Dereham
-
Scarning Voluntary Controlled Primary School3.5 miles
Primary · Dereham
Other schools in Thetford
Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy ranks 1st of the 17 ranked primary schools in Thetford.
- Admirals Academy Primary
- Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Drake Primary School Primary
- Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE 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
Common questions
- What ages does Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy teach?
- Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Thetford.
- Who is the headteacher of Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
- The headteacher of Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy is Mrs Shannon O'Sullivan, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy, 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 Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
- Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy has 229 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy full?
- Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy has capacity for 236 pupils and 229 on roll (97%), 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 Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Norwich.
- Does Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy as having nursery classes.
- Is Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy part of an academy trust?
- Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy is part of THE DIOCESE OF NORWICH EDUCATION AND ACADEMIES TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 85% in 2022/23 and 96% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy compare with other schools in Norfolk?
- Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy ranked 1st of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 99% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 81% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's absence rate?
- Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's overall absence rate is 4.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Thomas Bullock Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy'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.