UK Schools
Downham Market Academy
Downham Market Academy is a mixed secondary academy in Downham Market, Norfolk County Council, teaching 1,329 pupils aged 11 to 18. Ofsted rated it Good at its last graded inspection in April 2022. In 2024–2025, GCSE Attainment 8 was 43.8 (England 46.1). The 2025–2026 school year runs from 12 December 2025 to 17 July 2026.
Ofsted inspection
The latest published Ofsted judgement for Downham Market Academy.
Scale: Outstanding Good Requires improvement Inadequate
Term dates & holidays 2025–2026
Autumn, spring and summer terms, half-terms, INSET days and bank holidays for Downham Market Academy.
- 1–2 Professional Days (No students in school)
- 3 Start of Academic Year (All students in school)
- 2 Half Day for all students
- 23–31 Autumn Half Term
- 12 Last day of Autumn Term
- 13–31 Christmas Holiday
- 25 Christmas Day (Bank Holiday)
- 26 Boxing Day (Bank Holiday)
- 1–4 Christmas Holiday
- 1 New Year's Day (Bank Holiday)
- 5 Spring Term starts (All students in school)
- 16–20 Spring Half Term
- 27 Last day of Spring Term
- 28–31 Easter Holiday
- 1–12 Easter Holiday
- 3 Good Friday (Bank Holiday)
- 6 Easter Monday (Bank Holiday)
- 13 Summer Term starts (All students in school)
- 4 Early May Bank Holiday (No students in school)
- 25–29 Summer Half Term
- 25 Spring Bank Holiday (Bank Holiday)
- 17 End of Academic Year (Last day of term for all students)
- 18 Summer Holiday
- 31 Summer Bank Holiday (Bank Holiday)
Key dates (2025–2026)
- Professional Days (No students in school) 1 Sep 2025 - 2 Sep 2025 Event
- Start of Academic Year (All students in school) 3 Sep 2025 Event
- Half Day for all students 2 Oct 2025 Event
- Autumn Half Term 23 Oct 2025 - 31 Oct 2025 Holiday
- Last day of Autumn Term 12 Dec 2025 Term
- Christmas Holiday 13 Dec 2025 - 4 Jan 2026 Holiday
- Spring Term starts (All students in school) 5 Jan 2026 Term
- Spring Half Term 16 Feb 2026 - 20 Feb 2026 Holiday
- Last day of Spring Term 27 Mar 2026 Term
- Easter Holiday 28 Mar 2026 - 12 Apr 2026 Holiday
- Summer Term starts (All students in school) 13 Apr 2026 Term
- Early May Bank Holiday (No students in school) 4 May 2026 Holiday
- Summer Half Term 25 May 2026 - 29 May 2026 Holiday
- End of Academic Year (Last day of term for all students) 17 Jul 2026 Term
- Summer Holiday 18 Jul 2026 - Early Sep 2026 Holiday
- New Year's Day (Bank Holiday) 1 Jan 2026 Holiday
- Good Friday (Bank Holiday) 3 Apr 2026 Holiday
- Easter Monday (Bank Holiday) 6 Apr 2026 Holiday
- Spring Bank Holiday (Bank Holiday) 25 May 2026 Holiday
- Summer Bank Holiday (Bank Holiday) 31 Aug 2026 Holiday
- Christmas Day (Bank Holiday) 25 Dec 2025 Holiday
- Boxing Day (Bank Holiday) 26 Dec 2025 Holiday
Exam results & performance
The measures that carry the most signal. Open a section to compare Downham Market Academy with Norfolk County Council and England.
Key stage 4 (GCSE) 43.8 Attainment 8 score
Year 11 results across eight qualifications, including English and maths.
This school Norfolk County Council England
16 to 18 (A level & sixth form) 32.47 A level average point score
Results for students finishing post-16 study.
This school Norfolk County Council England
Attendance 24.3% Persistently absent pupils
Absence across the whole school year.
This school Norfolk County Council England
What pupils do after GCSEs 90% In education, apprenticeship or work
Still in education, an apprenticeship or work a year after key stage 4.
This school Norfolk County Council England
What students do after 16 to 18 study 89% In education, apprenticeship or work
Destinations the year after finishing post-16 study.
This school Norfolk County Council England
About this data source & caveats
Progress 8 is not published for 2024–2025. This year group missed their key stage 2 tests in 2020, so there is no baseline to measure progress from.
Attendance comparisons are pupil-weighted averages we calculate from every school’s published absence figure — the DfE absence file has no local authority or England rows of its own.
We show the headline measures only. Threshold and curriculum-policy figures — grade 4+ in English and maths, EBacc entry and points, the per-subject key stage 2 breakdown, academic and applied splits at 16 to 18 — reflect admissions and curriculum choices more than school quality, so they are left to GOV.UK. Progress measures matter most because they compare pupils with others who started at the same level; attainment on its own largely tracks a school’s intake.
Figures are the Department for Education’s official published results for Downham Market Academy. Results are suppressed where too few pupils were entered. England figures are the average for state-funded schools. “Top x%” is this school’s position among all schools in England with a published figure for that measure — the DfE does not publish league table rankings.
Source: Compare school and college performance, Department for Education. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Location & catchment area
Indicative only. This is a nearest-school (Voronoi) estimate — the area closer to Downham Market Academy than to any other secondary school. Real admissions depend on the school’s own policy (straight-line distance, siblings, faith, feeder schools and available places) and change each year. Always confirm with the school and local authority admissions team.