About the School

Drake Primary School is situated on the Fairfields Estate situated on the northern fringe of the town of Thetford.   Thetford is famed for its forest and excellent location and transport links but it was once the one of the largest and most influential towns in early medieval England. As a result, the area is of significant historical interest. As the capital of the Iceni tribe, Queen Boudicca was reputedly one of our most famous residents!

Drake has a long been one of the most popular primary schools in Norfolk, regularly oversubscribed. We opened for pupils in 1978 and originally accommodated up to 200 children from the ages of 5-8.  In 2004, we added to our Infant School with a new nursery department and our Little Pirates Child Care.

In September 2016, we became Drake Primary and Nursery school.  The very fabric of the school and immediate area underwent significant upheaval as we grew to accommodate the growing numbers of families and their children.  A grisly discovery halted construction, when a skeleton was found during the £4.8m renovation of our school as it expanded its capacity ahead of planned development in Thetford. 

In September 2020, we increased our capacity in Little Pirates Child Care to accommodate more nursery-age pupils and our name changed to Drake Primary and Little Pirates Child Care. 

This is an exciting time for us all at Drake and Little Pirates Child Care as we strive to offer an inclusive learning environment. Our new primary school is now undergoing a consultation to add a (SRB) Special Resource Base for (ASD) Autistic Spectrum Disorder pupils. If successful, we will welcome up to 16 primary-age pupils as part of our current pupil-allocated number.

Louise McLeod
Headteacher