Paston Ridings Primary School

Paston Ridings Primary School continues to be a good school, showcasing significant improvements in pupil engagement and learning expectations. Pupils express enjoyment in their studies and demonstrate increased ambition towards their academic achievements. The new leadership has made thoughtful changes to the curriculum, embedding reading as a central component, which has helped to raise standards and support even those who struggle with literacy. The positive school culture promotes respect for diversity, offering a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and valued. However, there are identified areas for improvement. Occasionally, teachers' explanations lack clarity, and information overload can lead to misconceptions among pupils. The assessment methods used by some teachers do not effectively address what pupils know, which can impede their understanding of the curriculum. Despite these concerns, the commitment of the leadership team and the governors to enhance educational outcomes remains strong, particularly as the school transitions through a federation with other local schools.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy the learning environment and engage positively.
• The school has raised expectations for all pupils.
• Reading is embedded effectively within the curriculum.
• Teachers provide support to help pupils with SEND keep pace with their peers.
• Pupils benefit from a curriculum that considers diverse cultures and beliefs.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers sometimes fail to deliver clear explanations of key knowledge.
• Some lessons overload pupils with information.
• Assessment methods do not always precisely identify pupil understanding.

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 Paston Ridings Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.1% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Paston Ridings 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 Paston Ridings Primary School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.7% 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, 24.0% of pupils at Paston Ridings Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% 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 Paston Ridings Primary School received £8,677 and spent £8,992 for each of its 350 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £157,000 (£449 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 Paston Ridings Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Paston Ridings Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Paston Ridings Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Paston Ridings Primary School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Paston Ridings Primary School have?

Paston Ridings Primary School has 350 pupils on roll.

What age range does Paston Ridings Primary School cover?

Paston Ridings Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Paston Ridings Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Paston Ridings Primary School?

Paston Ridings Primary School is at Paston Ridings, Paston, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE4 7XG.