Fred Nicholson School
Foundation special school in Swaffham (Norfolk).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
iWritten by WhatSchool from official school data (Get Information about Schools, DfE and Ofsted).Fred Nicholson School is a special school located in Dereham, Norfolk. The school caters for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. The Headteacher is Heidi Philpott.
Enrichment
3 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Forest School
- Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC)
- Zones of Regulation
Key facts
- URN
- 121256
- Type
- Foundation special school
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Constituency
- South West Norfolk
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1900
Governing body (8 current, 4 former)
Special schools governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Jill Wilson | Chair of Governors | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Steph Cooper | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Jen Mander | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Ms Julia Christou | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Ms Carol Stern | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Matt Ridley | Governor | Appointed by LA | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Heidi Philpott | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2024 |
| Ms Claire Chapman | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Graham Eves Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · term ended 2026 |
| Ms Leah Hall Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Max Lingwood Former | Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Mrs Jill Wilson Former | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2020 · term ended 2025 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record