Little Thetford CofE Primary School

Little Thetford CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in the Grace Schools multi-academy trust, which it joined in September 2023. It has 88 pupils on roll and a higher-than-average proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans. The July 2026 full inspection found the school meeting the expected standard across all evaluated domains, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils achieve well overall, especially in early reading and phonics, and they attend very well. Outcomes in national tests are strong: in 2024/25, writing and mathematics were above national averages, and combined reading, writing and mathematics was also above average. The school's main strengths are its inclusive ethos, effective early years provision, well-developed curriculum, and good support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils with barriers to learning typically learn as well as their peers, and staff provide effective pastoral care. Behaviour is usually good, and pupils are polite, kind and safe. Leaders have improved the curriculum and draw on trust expertise to support staff. However, the report flags several areas for improvement. Teaching checks are not consistently precise, so work can be too easy and opportunities to deepen knowledge are missed. The extra-curricular offer has shrunk, and some pupils do not access enough enrichment. Some parents are unhappy with communication and the breadth of opportunities. Leaders also need to ensure all staff have the skills for their roles and to build stronger relationships with all parents.

Strengths

• Pupils gain a secure foundation in early reading and phonics, blending letters and sounds fluently and accurately.
• Younger pupils develop a solid understanding of number and become increasingly confident in mathematical problem solving and reasoning.
• Pupils learn the wider curriculum effectively and write clearly with accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Pupils with barriers to learning gain the knowledge they need and typically learn as well as their peers.
• Pupils attend very well, including those with barriers to learning, and enjoy coming to school.
• Pupils typically behave well, are kind and considerate, and disruption to learning is rare.
• Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that helps pupils build and remember important knowledge over time.
• Teaching is generally effective, with secure subject knowledge and adjustments that help pupils with SEND access the curriculum.
• Early years provision gives children a positive start through careful planning, secure teaching and a bright, engaging environment.
• Leaders accurately identify pupils' needs and arrange effective support, including through external services and well-judged interventions.
• Leaders have taken robust steps to improve curriculum quality, particularly in early reading and phonics.
• Pupils learn how to stay safe on- and offline and understand diversity, tolerance and healthy relationships.
• Pupils enjoy arts, culture, trips and performances, including Royal Opera House and cathedral activities.
• Effective pastoral support helps pupils feel safe, focus on their work and attend well.
• Pupils attain well in national tests, with 2024/25 outcomes above national in writing and mathematics.

Areas for Improvement

• Sometimes work for pupils is too easy, so opportunities to extend knowledge are missed.
• When teaching is less effective, checks on knowledge are not precise enough to close gaps or adjust the curriculum.
• In early years, staff do not always closely check children's chosen activities, missing chances to broaden interests and knowledge.
• Some adaptations for pupils with SEND are not always precise enough to deepen their knowledge because checks are insufficiently thorough.
• Parent views are mixed, with frustration about communication and the breadth of the enrichment offer.
• The number of clubs and trips has recently fallen, and some pupils do not take part in enough opportunities to develop interests, confidence and resilience.
• Leaders need to ensure staff at all levels consistently have the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles to a high standard.
• Leaders need to build constructive relationships with all parents so all stakeholders have confidence in the school's work.
• More consistent approaches to modelling and language in mathematics would further strengthen pupils' knowledge and understanding.
• Some pupils are less attentive when teaching is less well matched to their needs.

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 Little Thetford CofE Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Little Thetford 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 Little Thetford CofE Primary School had 16.3 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, 7.7% of pupils at Little Thetford CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.0% 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 Little Thetford CofE Primary School received £9,227 and spent £8,341 for each of its 88 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

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

• Ely St Mary's CofE Junior 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
• 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
• St Christopher's CEVCP School Bury St Edmunds
• St Luke's CofE Primary School Cambridge

What is Little Thetford CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Little Thetford CofE Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Little Thetford CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Little Thetford CofE Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Little Thetford CofE Primary School have?

Little Thetford CofE Primary School has 78 pupils on roll.

What age range does Little Thetford CofE Primary School cover?

Little Thetford CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Little Thetford CofE Primary School?

Little Thetford CofE Primary School is at Green Hill, Little Thetford, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3HD.