Elm CofE Primary School

Elm CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary school within the Grace Schools Academy Trust. This full section 5 inspection found a school performing strongly overall. Safeguarding standards are met, and leaders have created a safe, inclusive and purposeful environment. Pupils attend well, behave consistently well, feel valued and are supported by positive relationships with staff. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is highly effective, and pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are supported to access the full curriculum and make progress. The school's strongest work is seen in attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance. However, achievement, early years and personal development are at the expected standard rather than matching the strength of the curriculum. National test outcomes are broadly average and do not yet fully reflect recent improvements, with reading outcomes in 2024/25 below national averages. Early years provision is positive overall, but adult interactions are not always consistently high quality for developing language and communication. Beyond-classroom opportunities, especially in music and the arts, are less extensive than other provision. Leaders have an accurate understanding of priorities and are well supported by governance and the trust's hub model. Staff feel valued and benefit from effective professional development. The next steps are to embed curriculum and teaching approaches so that pupils' achievements are reflected in stronger outcomes over time, increase wider opportunities for pupils to develop talents and interests, and ensure consistently high-quality interactions, particularly in early years.

Strengths

• Leaders prioritise attendance systematically, and persistent absence is very low.
• Pupils behave well, engage readily in lessons and take pride in their work.
• Structured phonics teaching helps pupils read accurately and often fluently by the end of Year 1.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and supported by clear subject-specific guidance.
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported to access the same broad curriculum as their peers.
• Disadvantaged pupils are supported effectively, and attainment gaps are diminishing.
• Leaders have a highly accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities.
• Governance and trust support provide effective challenge and expertise.
• Staff wellbeing and workload are prioritised, and professional learning is highly effective.
• Pupils feel safe, valued and well supported, with strong pastoral care.
• The personal development curriculum builds respect, safety and understanding of British values.
• Early years provision develops children's communication, language and early reading and writing skills.
• Pupils are well prepared academically and personally for the next stage of their education.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' outcomes in national tests and assessments do not yet fully reflect the strength of the curriculum and teaching.
• Achievement overall remains broadly in line with national averages rather than above average.
• Reading outcomes in 2024/25 were below the national average.
• Opportunities beyond the classroom, particularly in music and the arts, are less extensive.
• Early years practice is not always consistently high quality in supporting language and communication.
• Leaders need to continue embedding curriculum and teaching approaches so pupils' achievements improve over time.

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 Elm CofE Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.5% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Elm CofE 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 Elm CofE Primary School had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 16.9% of pupils at Elm CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 Elm CofE Primary School received £7,034 and spent £5,467 for each of its 222 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 Wisbech · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Elm CofE Primary School is part of Grace Schools, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• St Peter's CofE Aided Junior School Wisbech
• Orchards Church of England Academy Wisbech
• Wisbech St Mary CofE Academy Wisbech
• Marshland St James Primary and Nursery School Wisbech
• Guyhirn CofE VC Primary School Wisbech
• Anthony Curton CofE Primary School Wisbech
• Tilney All Saints CofE Primary School King'S Lynn
• Holy Cross Church of England Primary School King'S Lynn
• Hilgay Riverside Academy Downham Market
• St Martin At Shouldham Church of England Primary Academy King'S Lynn

What is Elm CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Elm CofE Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Elm CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Elm CofE Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Elm CofE Primary School have?

Elm CofE Primary School has 243 pupils on roll.

What age range does Elm CofE Primary School cover?

Elm CofE Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Elm CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Elm CofE Primary School?

Elm CofE Primary School is at Main Road, Elm, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE14 0AG.