Gunthorpe Primary School

About Gunthorpe Primary School

Gunthorpe Primary School in Peterborough is a mixed state primary for children aged 4 to 11, currently educating 341 pupils against a capacity of 420. That leaves a fair amount of physical space, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 55 applications for just 18 places, with all 18 first-preference offers taken up, giving an oversubscription ratio of just over 3 to 1. The pupil body is notably diverse in terms of disadvantage, with 44.6% of children eligible for free school meals — significantly above the national average and a key demographic marker for the area. The school is led by headteacher Christopher Scales and has no religious character. It does not offer nursery provision or a sixth form, and it is not a boarding school.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, just 38% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well below the Peterborough local authority average of 59%. This places Gunthorpe 49th out of 53 primary schools in the LA, putting it in the bottom half nationally. Individual subject scores show 57% reaching the expected standard in maths and 48% in both reading and writing, with very few pupils achieving the higher standard in any subject. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, did not give an overall effectiveness grade but judged behaviour and attitudes and personal development as Good, while quality of education and early years provision were rated as Requires Improvement. This is a slight improvement on the previous 2022 inspection, where all areas were graded Requires Improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, art studios, a Forest School and even a chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, football, swimming, rounders, cross country, gymnastics and athletics, while clubs include gardening, choir, eco club, science club, book club and drama. SEND support is available for a range of needs including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 22 families in the 2024/25 period show a split: 55% would recommend the school, but only 45% agreed their child is happy, and 45% disagreed that the school ensures good behaviour. For families considering Gunthorpe, the high oversubscription rate means applying early is essential, and the data suggests it may suit those who value the personal development and behaviour focus over current academic outcomes.

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