The Bellbird Primary School

The Bellbird Primary school demonstrates a strong overall performance, maintaining a 'Good' grade across all inspected areas. The school has made notable improvements in its curriculum, providing pupils with clear learning pathways and effectively supporting their academic growth. Pupils are engaged, enjoying subjects such as music, and actively participate in various school activities, fostering a sense of responsibility and community. The supportive environment and leadership have contributed to pupils' positive attitudes and behavior, as well as strong attendance rates. However, there are areas for development, particularly in writing, where some pupils struggle to apply their understanding independently. The school needs to address gaps in knowledge across some subjects to ensure all pupils achieve their full potential. This inspection marks the first routine evaluation since the pandemic, and the school has successfully adapted its approaches, benefiting from supportive leadership and a commitment to well-being for both staff and students.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy their subjects and engage with the curriculum.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Strong emphasis on personal development and responsibility.
• Good quality of education with well-structured curriculum improvements.
• Pupils demonstrate positive behavior and enjoy attending school.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle with independent writing due to persistent misconceptions.
• Lack of precise understanding of knowledge gaps in certain subjects.

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 Bellbird Primary School attended 96.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.7% 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, 0.2% of pupils at The Bellbird 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 Bellbird Primary School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.3% 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, 13.1% of pupils at The Bellbird Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Bellbird Primary School received £6,089 and spent £6,448 for each of its 426 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £95,000 (£224 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cambridge · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

What is The Bellbird Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Bellbird Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was The Bellbird Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Bellbird Primary School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does The Bellbird Primary School have?

The Bellbird Primary School has 426 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Bellbird Primary School cover?

The Bellbird Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Bellbird Primary School?

The Bellbird Primary School is at Link Road, Sawston, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3GB.