The Free School Norwich
Free schools primary school in Norwich (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
I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to you and your child as part of The Free School Norwich community. At our single-form entry school, we prioritize creating a positive environment where every pupil can thrive and progress. We take pride in fostering a sense of empathy, kindness, and respect throughout our school.
Our unique term structure consists of six terms each lasting six weeks, with school holidays spanning two weeks and a four-week break in August. The terms, named Harvest, Christmas, Winter, Spring, Whitsun, and Summer, provide a diverse and enriching learning experience for our students.
Recognising the needs of working parents, we provide an extended school service from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm during term time, operated by the external company Set Your Sights. Additional details about this service can be found at .
Furthermore, The Free School Norwich operates a holiday club run by Premier Sports, available for one week during each school holiday and two weeks over the summer (please refer to the school calendar for specific dates).
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
3 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Music
- Thrive Approach
- Restorative Practice
Key facts
- URN
- 136821
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Norfolk
- Constituency
- Norwich South
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2011
Governing body (7 current, 6 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.10 governors are linked to a profile (9 confirmed, 1 (likely)).
Governors marked “Confirmed same person” have exactly the same forename and surname as the only officer of that name at the school’s own academy trust company on the Companies House register, so we treat them as the same person. The governance record itself comes from DfE.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Andy Skeggs (likely) | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2024 |
| Mr Darren Webster Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2021 |
| Mr Darren Webster Confirmed same person | Accounting OfficerTrust officer | since 2020 | |
| Mrs Julia Virgoe Confirmed same person | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by academy members | since 2020 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Sharon Bacon | Chief Financial OfficerTrust officer | since 2017 | |
| Ms Markella Papageorgiou Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Appointed by academy members | since 2013 |
| Mr Roger Margand Confirmed same person | MemberTrust members | Original (signatory) members | since 2010 |
| Julia Virgoe Confirmed same person Former | Chair of TrusteesTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Christos Sofopoulos Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Gareth Joel Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Miss Kerrie Gallagher Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · term ended 2025 |
| Mr Andrew McCloud Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Elected by parents | since 2024 · term ended 2025 |
| Ms Jaime Rix Confirmed same person Former | TrusteeTrust board | Appointed by GB/board | since 2022 · term ended 2026 |
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