Isle of Ely Primary School
106%
Capacity
446
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About Isle of Ely Primary School
Isle of Ely Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary school in East Cambridgeshire that is currently running above its official capacity, with 446 pupils on roll against a published capacity of 420. This oversubscription is no surprise given the demand: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 125 applications for just 60 places, with 66 of those coming as first preferences. The school’s free school meal rate sits at 8.5%, which is notably lower than the national average for primary schools, suggesting a relatively affluent intake. The school does not have a religious character, and it offers nursery provision for children from age three. With a headteacher in place and a clear signal from parents that this is a popular choice, the school is operating in a competitive local market where five primaries in the local authority hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating.
Academically, Isle of Ely Primary performs solidly above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 58%. This places the school 57th out of 210 primary schools in Cambridgeshire, and 10th out of 27 in East Cambridgeshire specifically. Pupils achieved an average reading score of 105 and an average maths score of 104, both above the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 15% of pupils achieved in all three subjects, with reading particularly strong at 40% reaching the higher threshold. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in March 2023, confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management, overall effectiveness, and early years provision all rated Good.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, dining hall, forest school, ICT suite, sensory room, gymnasium, sports hall, and even a chapel. Sports provision covers cross country, tennis, football, dance, rounders and cricket, while clubs include science, book, art, coding, chess and film. SEND support is comprehensive, with provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. This combination of strong academic outcomes, high demand, and wide-ranging support makes Isle of Ely a strong choice for families in the area who want a well-resourced primary that is clearly popular with local parents.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | School Road, Ely, East Cambridgeshire, CB6 2FG |
| Headteacher | Bryony Surtees |
| Local Authority | Cambridgeshire |
| Number of Pupils | 446 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 8.5% |
| School Capacity | 446 / 420 (106% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
8 Mar 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (8 Mar 2023): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 1 Sept 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (67%)
5394th of 13,686
Nationally
563rd of 1,612
In East of England
10th of 27
In East Cambridgeshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
67%
Expected Standard
15%
Higher Standard
'22/23
67%
'23/24
67%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed60
125
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
66 families put this school as their 1st choice (53% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Breakfast club
07:30-08:30
After-school care
15:00-18:00
Source: isleofelyprimary.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British67.9%
- White (other)14.3%
- Mixed10.3%
- Asian2.2%
- Black1.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
5
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Isle of Ely Primary School
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Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
School Road, Ely
East Cambridgeshire, CB6 2FG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
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