The Spinney Primary School

The Spinney Primary School is a smaller-than-average primary school in Cambridge that has been graded at the expected standard across all evaluated areas. Leaders have taken effective action to improve curriculum and teaching since the last inspection, and the school now provides a solid quality of education. Pupils generally achieve well, particularly in early reading and phonics, and the early years provision is highly effective in building vocabulary and social skills. Pupils with SEND make appropriate progress and are well included in school life. Attendance is largely good, with targeted support helping to improve rates for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Behaviour is calm and positive, and pupils report feeling safe and valued. Personal development is well planned, and pupils gain a secure understanding of fundamental British values and diversity.

Strengths

• Early years provision is highly effective, with a strong focus on vocabulary development and well-designed learning environments.
• Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6, with disadvantaged pupils performing above national averages.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and make appropriate progress from their starting points.
• Attendance is improving due to targeted support, with overall absence below national averages.
• Pupils behave well, are calm and respectful, and have positive attitudes to learning.
• The school has a broad and well-sequenced curriculum that builds knowledge step by step.
• Leaders and governors have a clear vision and have taken effective action to improve teaching quality.
• Pupils benefit from a well-considered personal development programme that promotes fundamental British values and understanding of discrimination.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not secure important knowledge in writing and mathematics as well as they could, limiting their achievement.
• Letter formation and orientation are not taught consistently, which hinders some pupils' writing accuracy.
• Teachers do not always check mathematical recording closely enough, leading to errors in how pupils set out their work.
• Leaders should ensure a consistent focus on accurate letter and number formation across the school.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Spinney Primary School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.1% of pupils at The Spinney Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Spinney Primary School had 29.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 50.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 11.9% of pupils at The Spinney Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Spinney Primary School received £7,379 and spent £7,810 for each of its 177 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £25,000 (£139 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is The Spinney Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Spinney Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The Spinney Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Spinney Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The Spinney Primary School have?

The Spinney Primary School has 177 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Spinney Primary School cover?

The Spinney Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Spinney Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Spinney Primary School?

The Spinney Primary School is at Hayster Drive, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 9PB.