Histon and Impington Brook Primary School

Histon and Impington Brook Primary School is an exceptional school where pupils thrive from Reception onwards. Inspectors found outstanding provision across every area judged, with pupils demonstrating excellent behaviour, strong values and a genuine pride in their school. The curriculum is carefully designed and sequenced by the school and Meridian Trust, and leaders check its delivery rigorously, using findings to provide high-quality professional development. Staff know precisely how to teach the curriculum and support pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve highly. A love of reading is central to the school, and children begin learning to read as soon as they join Reception. Staff identify pupils who need extra help quickly and provide expert support, helping all pupils become confident and fluent readers. The early years provision is highly effective, and pupils benefit from a meticulously designed personal development and enrichment programme that builds talents, broadens horizons and reinforces positive relationships. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first inspection under section 5 since it opened as a primary school following conversion. The school was previously a junior school and became a primary school in September 2021; the headteacher took up post in September 2023. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and no significant weaknesses were identified.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education across the curriculum
• Curriculum knowledge is clearly sequenced and rigorously checked
• High-quality professional development helps staff teach precisely
• Assessment is used well to revisit and extend pupils' learning
• A strong focus on vocabulary deepens pupils' understanding across subjects
• A love of reading is embedded throughout the school
• Early reading support is expert and helps pupils become fluent readers
• Pupils with SEND are identified precisely and supported effectively
• Early years provision is highly skilled and routines are clear
• Pupils' behaviour and attitudes are exceptional
• Personal development and enrichment are meticulously designed
• Pupils demonstrate strong values such as responsibility and respect
• Staff workload and wellbeing are well supported
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Histon and Impington Brook Primary School attended 96.1% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Histon and Impington Brook 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 Histon and Impington Brook Primary School had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.9% 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, 10.5% of pupils at Histon and Impington Brook Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Histon and Impington Brook Primary School received £9,136 and spent £8,196 for each of its 376 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,089,000 (£2,897 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Meridian Trust, income was £7,921 and spending £7,857 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 Cambridge · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Histon and Impington Brook Primary School is part of Meridian Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Histon and Impington Park Primary School Cambridge
• North Cambridge Academy Cambridge
• Northstowe Learning Community Cambridge
• The Martin Bacon Academy Northstowe
• Hatton Park Primary School Cambridge
• Bar Hill Community Primary School Cambridge
• Swavesey Village College Cambridge
• Trumpington Park Primary School Cambridge
• The Harbour School Ely
• Somersham Primary School Somersham

What is Histon and Impington Brook Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Histon and Impington Brook Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Histon and Impington Brook Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Histon and Impington Brook Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Histon and Impington Brook Primary School have?

Histon and Impington Brook Primary School has 408 pupils on roll.

What age range does Histon and Impington Brook Primary School cover?

Histon and Impington Brook Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Histon and Impington Brook Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Histon and Impington Brook Primary School?

Histon and Impington Brook Primary School is at The Green, Histon, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB24 9JA.