Pathfinder CofE Primary School

Pathfinder CofE Primary School has demonstrated a solid performance overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across major domains including education quality, behavior, personal development, and leadership. The school provides a positive environment where pupils thrive, with an increased focus on raising academic expectations leading to improved knowledge among students in years 1 to 6. However, the early years provision has room for significant improvement, as ongoing changes have not yet translated into readiness for Year 1. Children's preparation for key stage 1 remains a concern, pointing to a need for a more coherent early years curriculum that builds knowledge effectively.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and safe, reflecting a supportive school environment.
• Staff serve as positive role models, fostering respectful and kind behavior.
• The curriculum is well-structured for key stages 1 and 2, enhancing students' knowledge.
• Pupils with special educational needs receive effective support to learn alongside their peers.
• High levels of conduct and good manners are displayed by students.
• Effective initiatives have improved attendance and reduced persistent absenteeism.
• Positive staff culture with strong support for workload management and professional development.

Areas for Improvement

• Early years curriculum lacks clarity on knowledge progression from Nursery to Year 1.
• Some subjects have insufficiently identified knowledge, hindering teaching effectiveness.
• Staff occasionally do not identify or address gaps in pupils' knowledge during lessons.

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 Pathfinder CofE Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.8% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder CofE Primary School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.9% 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, 14.4% of pupils at Pathfinder CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 Pathfinder CofE Primary School received £5,950 and spent £5,543 for each of its 460 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 Cambridge · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

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

• Oakington CofE Primary School Cambridge
• Milton Church of England Primary School Cambridge
• St Luke's CofE Primary School Cambridge
• Mepal and Witcham Church of England Primary School Ely
• Little Thetford CofE Primary School Ely
• Swaffham Bulbeck Church of England Primary School Cambridge
• Swaffham Prior Church of England Primary School Cambridge
• St John's CofE Primary School Huntingdon
• St Andrew's CofE Primary School Ely
• Bury CofE Primary School Huntingdon

What is Pathfinder CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pathfinder CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Pathfinder CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pathfinder CofE Primary School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Pathfinder CofE Primary School have?

Pathfinder CofE Primary School has 471 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pathfinder CofE Primary School cover?

Pathfinder CofE Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pathfinder CofE Primary School?

Pathfinder CofE Primary School is at Pathfinder Way, Northstowe, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB24 3DS.