Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School

Ely St Mary’s CofE Junior School has demonstrated a good level of overall effectiveness during its recent inspection. The leadership team is dedicated and possesses a clear vision for the school, which has led to a broad curriculum that fosters both academic and personal growth among students. The school has established a supportive environment where pupils feel safe, valued, and are encouraged to pursue their aspirations. Although the school performs well in behavior and personal development, with a strong emphasis on reading, some inconsistencies in teaching methods have been noted as an area for improvement.

Strengths

• Leaders have high ambitions for pupils and a clear vision for the school.
• The curriculum provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils.
• Pupils generally behave well and demonstrate the school’s values.
• Staff prioritise reading, helping pupils to develop confidence as readers.
• Leaders invest heavily in the professional development of staff.
• Pupils have access to extracurricular activities, including music and sports.

Areas for Improvement

• Not all teachers adapt their teaching quickly enough to meet the needs of all pupils.

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 Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.6% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Ely St Mary's CofE Junior 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 Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.3% 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, 17.3% of pupils at Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.1% 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 Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School received £6,988 and spent £6,033 for each of its 240 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £0 (£0 per pupil).

Across all 38 schools of Grace Schools, income was £7,113 and spending £6,207 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 Ely · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School is part of Grace Schools, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• Little Thetford CofE Primary School Ely
• St Andrew's CofE Primary School Ely
• Mepal and Witcham Church of England Primary School Ely
• Swaffham Prior Church of England Primary School Cambridge
• Hilgay Riverside Academy Downham Market
• St Christopher's CEVCP School Bury St Edmunds
• Swaffham Bulbeck Church of England Primary School Cambridge
• Milton Church of England Primary School Cambridge
• Pathfinder CofE Primary School Cambridge
• Oakington CofE Primary School Cambridge

What is Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School have?

Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School has 226 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School cover?

Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School?

Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School is at High Barns, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4RB.