St Alban's Catholic Primary School

St Alban’s Catholic Primary School is a happy, inclusive and high-performing school where pupils are motivated, feel safe and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school has high expectations and provides effective support for pupils with SEND, and pupils benefit from a broad curriculum, a strong reading culture and a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Behaviour and attitudes and personal development are particular strengths, with pupils showing exemplary conduct, respect and strong attendance. The quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision are good. The early years environment is warm and well structured, and children quickly settle into routines that build their independence and social skills. Staff are proud to work at the school, governance and trust support are effective, and relationships with parents are strong. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first graded inspection under section 5, following its joining the Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi-Academy Trust in May 2024 and the appointment of new senior leaders. The main area for improvement is that curriculum activities are not always adapted well enough to help pupils deepen and extend their learning, which means some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

Strengths

• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Inclusive education with effective reasonable adjustments in lessons
• Strong reading culture and well-ordered phonics taught by trained staff
• Pupils quickly learn to read and receive targeted support when needed
• Broad and interesting curriculum that develops curiosity
• Exceptionally well-planned and delivered PSHE programme
• Pupils learn how to stay safe online and understand health and wellbeing
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and respectful relationships
• Strong attendance and punctuality
• Warm and welcoming early years provision with clear routines
• Staff appreciate workload adjustments and training
• Governors and trustees provide highly effective support and challenge
• Positive relationships with parents and carers
• Wide range of educational visits and residential opportunities
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum activities are not consistently adapted to help pupils deepen and extend their learning, so some pupils do not achieve as well as they could

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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School attended 97.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Alban's Catholic 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School had 21.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.2% 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, 9.8% of pupils at St Alban's Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.5% 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School received £5,921 and spent £5,667 for each of its 211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £74,000 (£351 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,225 and spending £7,189 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

St Alban's Catholic Primary School is part of Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• St Laurence Catholic Primary School Cambridge
• St Louis Catholic Academy Newmarket
• St Felix Roman Catholic Primary School, Haverhill Haverhill
• St Benedict's Catholic School Bury St Edmunds
• St Edmund's Catholic Primary School Bury St Edmunds
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Sudbury
• St Pancras Catholic Primary School Ipswich
• St Mark's Catholic Primary School Ipswich
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ipswich Ipswich
• St Alban's Catholic High School Ipswich

What is St Alban's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Alban's Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was St Alban's Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Alban's Catholic Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does St Alban's Catholic Primary School have?

St Alban's Catholic Primary School has 205 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Alban's Catholic Primary School cover?

St Alban's Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Alban's Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Alban's Catholic Primary School?

St Alban's Catholic Primary School is at Lensfield Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1EN.