Fred Nicholson School is a not applicable school in Dereham, serving pupils aged 3 to 19. The school is a foundation special school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Fred Nicholson School currently has around 197 pupils on roll, which is about 113% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 59.9% boys and 40.1% girls. Around 55.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9.7%. Persistent absence is recorded at 27.2%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (84.3%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 95% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (95%) , including 0% who stay in school sixth forms and 90% progressing to further education , while 0% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Westfield Road, Dereham, NR19 1JB |
| Website: | http://www.frednicholson.norfolk.sch.uk |
| Telephone: | 01362693915 |
| School Type: | Foundation special school |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Norfolk |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Heidi Philpott |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 121256 |
Ofsted inspection date: 10/12/2014
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 174 |
| Number of Pupils: | 197 |
| Number of Boys: | 118 |
| Number of Girls: | 79 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9.7% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 27.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 84.30% | 166 |
| Other White | 4.10% | 8 |
| Unclassified | 3.00% | 6 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 2.50% | 5 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.50% | 3 |
| Other Mixed | 1.00% | 2 |
| African | 1.00% | 2 |
| Indian | 1.00% | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.50% | 1 |
| White and Black African | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Asian | 0.50% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Asian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Other Black | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dereham, Toftwood Community Junior School 38 Westfield Road , NR19 1JB | 3out of 4 | 208 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Toftwood Infant School School Lane , Toftwood NR19 1LS | 3out of 4 | 211 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Dereham, St Nicholas Junior School Gilpins Ride , Littlefields NR19 1BJ | - not rated | 1,215 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Dereham Church of England Junior Academy Gilpin's Ride , Littlefield's NR19 1BJ | 3out of 4 | 1,215 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Grove House Nursery and Infant Community School Gilpins Ride , Littlefields NR19 1BJ | - not rated | 1,357 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dereham Neatherd High School Norwich Road , NR20 3AX | - not rated | 2,052 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Dereham Neatherd High School Norwich Road , NR20 3AX | - not rated | 2,052 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Northgate High School Cemetery Road , NR19 2EU | - not rated | 2,761 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Northgate High School Cemetery Road , NR19 2EU | 3out of 4 | 2,761 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Nicholson School Westfield Road , Toftwood NR19 1JB | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Foundation special school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Dereham Sixth Form College Crown Road , NR20 4AG | - not rated | 2,087 yd | Sixth form centres | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.