Fordham CofE Primary School

About Fordham CofE Primary School

Fordham CofE Primary School is a Church of England state primary in East Cambridgeshire that is running very close to full capacity, with 414 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 420. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 11.4 per cent, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively affluent local intake. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 123 applications for 59 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.08. Of those, 54 families put Fordham as their first preference, and all 54 were offered a place. This indicates that while the school is popular, it is not yet so oversubscribed that first-preference applicants are routinely turned away. The school’s mixed-gender intake spans ages 4 to 11, and it has no nursery or sixth-form provision.

Academically, Fordham’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good across all five categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2010, when it was judged Outstanding overall. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 54 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is slightly below the local authority average of 58 per cent. However, individual subject scores were stronger: 72 per cent met the expected standard in maths, 67 per cent in reading, and 61 per cent in writing. Average scaled scores were 104 in maths and 105 in reading. The proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was just 3 per cent, placing the school in the bottom half of primary schools nationally for this combined measure.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sensory room, forest school area, outdoor playground, ICT suite, and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, swimming, tennis, and football, while extracurricular clubs include coding, drama, art club, and film club. Fordham has a broad SEND offer, with specialist support for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a practical choice for families whose children require targeted support within a mainstream setting. The school is oversubscribed but not prohibitively so, and its Church of England character may appeal to families seeking a faith-based primary with strong local demand and a full range of facilities.

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