Inspiration Trust wins bid to open new Free School in Cringleford

Inspiration Trust is pleased to announce they have been successful in their bid to open the new Free School in Cringleford, situated off Colney Lane, on the edge of Norwich. The school, which will be the second primary school in the area and will cater for children aged 4- 11 years. 

The new school will be the 17th school to join the Inspiration Trust, which has schools all over Norfolk and north Suffolk and will be located in the catchment area of the county’s best secondary school - the Ofsted Outstanding, Hethersett Academy. 

The Trust is proudly committed to improving the standards of education in the East of England, and has recently seen its current group of primary schools buck the national trend, with outcomes in Reading, Writing and Maths all increasing, despite nationally there being a decline. 

Inspiration Trust is renowned for its nationally-recognised curriculum which it offers alongside quality enrichment that includes Trust-wide sports competitions, a pledge to provide every child with the chance to play an instrument, and a plethora of trips and out-of-classroom activities that span arts and culture. 

Gareth Stevens - CEO, Inspiration Trust says:

“We are delighted to be awarded the opportunity to open a new free school in Cringleford. As always, our mission is to ensure the children of our county are receiving the best possible education - opening this new free school will enable us to expand further on this mission, improving outcomes for even more children.

“Primary education is extremely important - it sets children up for success for the entirety of their lives. At Cringleford we will promote a culture of kindness and children will be nurtured in a warm, friendly environment that prioritises outdoor learning and academic success”.

Cringleford Free School is being built to support the growing Cringleford village which is currently in the midst of seeing around 1,300 new homes being erected and will span two storeys to cater for up to 420 children. The school will have parking for staff and visitors (with electric charging points) and will have external hard and soft surfaced outdoor play areas that allow the pupils and teachers to embrace outdoor learning. 

Cllr John Fisher, cabinet member for Norfolk County Council Children’s Services, said: 
“It’s great to see our project to build this much-needed second primary school for the growing community of Cringleford move forward another step with the naming of the academy trust which will run the new setting. We look forward to working with Inspiration Trust as we move forward with our building programme.”

The new school is being funded and built as part of the county council’s Schools’ Capital Programme, which ensures sufficiency of school places in growing communities across Norfolk. The school aims to open in September 2024.