Winhills Primary Academy

Winhills Primary Academy remains a good school, demonstrating a strong commitment to fostering a safe and respectful environment for its pupils. The school features a comprehensive curriculum that is effectively tailored to meet the diverse needs of its students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers are dedicated and high expectations are set for all pupils, helping them to perform well in their studies. The headteacher leads a team that is recognized for its strong collaboration and ongoing professional development, contributing positively to the school culture. However, the school is facing challenges with persistent absenteeism among a small number of disadvantaged pupils, which is impacting their overall learning experiences.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and supported by caring staff.
• Strong, well-planned curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils.
• High expectations set by teachers for all learners.
• Strong emphasis on reading, benefiting from consistent phonics instruction.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, with comprehensive systems in place.
• Good behavior in lessons and positive relationships among pupils.
• Valuable enrichment opportunities through trips and clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absenteeism among disadvantaged pupils affects learning.

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 Winhills Primary Academy attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.6% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Winhills Primary Academy 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 Winhills Primary Academy had 26.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 36.4% 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, 22.0% of pupils at Winhills Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 2024–25 Winhills Primary Academy received £8,125 and spent £8,224 for each of its 234 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £27,000 (-£115 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of The Diamond Learning Partnership Trust, income was £7,117 and spending £7,316 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in St Neots · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Winhills Primary Academy is part of The Diamond Learning Partnership Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Middlefield Primary Academy St Neots
• The Round House Primary Academy St Neots
• Wintringham Primary Academy St. Neots
• Great Staughton Primary Academy St Neots
• Kimbolton Primary Academy Huntingdon
• Roman Way Academy Royston
• King James Academy Royston Royston
• Glebelands Primary Academy Chatteris
• Braybrook Primary Academy Peterborough
• Thomas Eaton Primary Academy March

What is Winhills Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Winhills Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Winhills Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Winhills Primary Academy was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Winhills Primary Academy have?

Winhills Primary Academy has 227 pupils on roll.

What age range does Winhills Primary Academy cover?

Winhills Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Winhills Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Winhills Primary Academy?

Winhills Primary Academy is at Off Duck Lane, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 2DX.