Cuckney CofE Primary School

About Cuckney CofE Primary School

Cuckney CofE Primary School was rated Good overall in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, a rating it has held consistently across its last two inspections. The most telling exam metric for this small Church of England primary in Bassetlaw is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2: just 36% did so in the 2023/24 academic year. That is significantly below the Nottinghamshire local authority average of 61%, placing the school in the bottom half of primary schools in Bassetlaw, where it ranks 37th out of 44. The picture is more mixed when you look at individual subjects. While 68% of pupils met the expected standard in writing and 59% in reading, only 45% did so in maths. The average scaled scores tell a similar story: 102 in reading and 101 in maths, both just above the national baseline of 100, but not enough to lift the combined figure.

The Ofsted breakdown offers some nuance. While overall effectiveness, quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management were all judged Good, the early years provision was rated Outstanding. This suggests that children get a very strong start in Reception, even if that momentum isn't fully sustained through to Year 6. The school's Progress 8 scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. What is clear is that the school serves a relatively advantaged intake: only 5.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the national average. With 125 pupils on roll against a capacity of 140, the school is not yet full, but it is oversubscribed for Reception places in 2025/26, receiving 35 applications for 15 places, all of which went to first-preference families.

Cuckney CofE Primary School is a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 5 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form. It is a Church of England school, which may appeal to families looking for a faith-based setting, though the data does not specify any particular admissions criteria beyond oversubscription. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite, a chapel and a sensory room. Sports provision includes swimming, netball, rounders, cricket, tennis and dance, while clubs range from drama and choir to chess, coding and film club. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families who value a strong early years start and a supportive, well-equipped environment, this school could be a good fit, though the below-average KS2 outcomes are worth weighing carefully.

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