Nova Primary Academy

Nova Primary Academy is a welcoming primary school that has improved since its previous inspection. Leaders' ambitious vision and high expectations are evident, and effective curriculum changes have improved pupils' work. Pupils behave well in calm, purposeful lessons, feel safe and listened to, and benefit from strong reading provision, good support for pupils with SEND, and a strong personal development offer. The school is part of Peterborough Keys Academy Trust and has a specially resourced provision for deaf pupils. Safeguarding is effective, staff are positive, and parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. The inspection found that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge in a few subjects and in writing, partly because of a weak curriculum in the past and disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. In these areas, teachers do not always address gaps before introducing new content or routinely help pupils remember key knowledge. The writing curriculum is less well developed than other subjects and has contributed to lower writing outcomes. Leaders need to ensure the new writing curriculum is implemented effectively and that teachers close remaining knowledge gaps and use effective strategies to help pupils remember key content.

Strengths

• Leaders' ambitious vision and high expectations are at the heart of the school.
• Curriculum improvements have raised the quality of pupils' work and sequenced learning well.
• Pupils behave well in calm, purposeful lessons and persevere with challenging work.
• Pupils feel safe and listened to, with a strong focus on well-being.
• Reading is a priority, with effective phonics and early language support.
• Pupils with SEND, including deaf pupils, are well included and supported to achieve.
• Personal development is central, with responsibilities, community links and values education.
• Early years provision builds good social skills and supports effective transition into Year 1.
• Staff are positive, well supported through professional development, and trust governance is effective.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in learning in a few subjects and in writing due to past curriculum weaknesses and pandemic disruption.
• Teachers do not always address pupils' remaining knowledge gaps before introducing new content.
• Teachers do not routinely help pupils remember key knowledge in some subjects.
• The writing curriculum is less well developed than other subjects and has contributed to lower writing outcomes.
• Leaders need to implement the new writing curriculum effectively so all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes.

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 Nova Primary Academy attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.1% 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, 3.0% of pupils at Nova Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Nova Primary Academy had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.0% 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 Nova Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 Nova Primary Academy received £8,306 and spent £8,410 for each of its 361 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £115,000 (£319 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Keys Academies Trust, income was £7,981 and spending £7,915 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 Peterborough · Peterborough local authority: places and applications

Nova Primary Academy is part of Keys Academies Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Thorpe Primary Academy Peterborough
• Jack Hunt Academy Peterborough
• Longthorpe Primary Academy Peterborough
• Ravensthorpe Primary Academy Peterborough

What is Nova Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Nova Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Nova Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Nova Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Nova Primary Academy have?

Nova Primary Academy has 343 pupils on roll.

What age range does Nova Primary Academy cover?

Nova Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

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

Where is Nova Primary Academy?

Nova Primary Academy is at South Bretton, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE3 9XJ.