Ely St John's Community Primary School

About Ely St John's Community Primary School

Ely St John's Community Primary School is a mixed, non-denominational state primary in East Cambridgeshire, currently home to 365 pupils against a capacity of 420. That leaves some headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 91 applications for 48 places, with 47 of those coming as first preferences. The oversubscription ratio sits at 1.9, meaning nearly two families compete for every spot. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 10.7%, which is below the national average for primary schools, suggesting a relatively advantaged intake compared with the wider Cambridgeshire area. The school is led by headteacher Christopher John Henson and was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024, a rating it has held consistently across both its 2015 and 2024 graded inspections.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 year show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 53%, which sits below the local authority average of 58% and places the school 124th out of 210 similar schools in Cambridgeshire. In the East of England region, it ranks in the bottom third. However, individual subject scores are stronger: 73% reached the expected standard in reading, with an average scaled score of 106, and 68% did so in writing. Maths was weaker, with 63% at expected and an average score of 102. At the higher standard, 34% achieved greater depth in reading, but only 7% did so across all three subjects. The school's Ofsted inspection noted Good across all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision, with no area judged as Outstanding.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive. In the Parent View survey covering September 2024 to September 2025, 97% of the 113 respondents would recommend the school. Strong agreement was particularly high for happiness (81% strongly agree their child is happy), safety (74% strongly agree), and clubs and activities (76% strongly agree). The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, sports hall, music rooms, ICT suite, art studios, and a sensory room. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder, with 63% of parents strongly agreeing that SEND children receive the support they need. Clubs include book club, drama, coding, gardening, and choir, while sports on offer are football, athletics, gymnastics, and cross country. This is a well-regarded community school that suits families looking for a Good-rated option with strong pastoral care and a broad enrichment offer, though those prioritising top-tier academic results may want to look at higher-performing peers in the local area.

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