Hilgay Riverside Academy
Church Road, Hilgay, Downham Market, PE38 0JL
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- GRACE SCHOOLS
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Turner
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ely
- Sponsor
- Grace Schools
- Constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 98
- Pupils on roll
- 75
- URN
- 142526
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01366387685
About this school
Hilgay Riverside Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Downham Market. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 75 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
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 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 29% | 30% | 60% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 71% | 70% | 70% |
| Expected standard in maths | 43% | 70% | 60% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 57% | 80% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 102.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 98.0 | 103.0 | 102.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.60 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -5.40 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -3.10 | - | - |
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 Hilgay Riverside 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 | 29% | 49.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 30% | 49.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 60% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 54 |
| 2023/24 | 54 |
| 2024/25 | 71 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Hilgay Riverside Academy compares
Hilgay Riverside Academy ranked 111th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 40% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 45% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 60% | 5.6% | 33.8% | 75 | — |
| Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 76% | 4.6% | 20.4% | 108 | 2.2 miles |
| Southery Academy | 46% | 4% | 30.1% | 83 | 2.3 miles |
| Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School | 71% | 4.9% | 21.4% | 404 | 3.2 miles |
| Nelson Academy | 63% | 6.5% | 35% | 386 | 3.4 miles |
| Wimbotsham and Stow Academy | 56% | 5.3% | 8.8% | 106 | 4.2 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)
- 33.8%
- English as an additional language
- 1.4%
- Overall absence
- 5.64%
- Persistent absence
- 19.4%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School2.2 miles
Primary · Downham Market
-
Southery Academy2.3 miles
Primary · Downham Market
-
Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School3.2 miles
Primary · Downham Market
-
Nelson Academy3.4 miles
Primary · Downham Market
-
Wimbotsham and Stow Academy4.2 miles
Primary · King's Lynn
Other schools in Downham Market
Hilgay Riverside Academy ranks 4th of the 5 ranked primary schools in Downham Market.
- Denver Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Downham Market, Hillcrest Primary School Primary
- Nelson Academy Primary
- Southery Academy Primary
- Downham Market Academy Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does Hilgay Riverside Academy teach?
- Hilgay Riverside Academy teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Downham Market.
- Who is the headteacher of Hilgay Riverside Academy?
- The headteacher of Hilgay Riverside Academy is Mrs Sarah Turner, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Hilgay Riverside Academy last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Hilgay Riverside 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 big is Hilgay Riverside Academy?
- Hilgay Riverside Academy has 75 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Hilgay Riverside Academy full?
- Hilgay Riverside Academy has capacity for 98 pupils and 75 on roll (77%), 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 Hilgay Riverside Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Hilgay Riverside Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Ely.
- Does Hilgay Riverside Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Hilgay Riverside Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs Hilgay Riverside Academy?
- Hilgay Riverside Academy 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 Hilgay Riverside Academy'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 60% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Hilgay Riverside Academy rank locally?
- Hilgay Riverside Academy ranked 111th of 266 primary schools in Norfolk for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 40% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 45% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Hilgay Riverside Academy's absence rate?
- Hilgay Riverside Academy's overall absence rate is 5.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Hilgay Riverside Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Hilgay Riverside 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 2 July 2026.