Kinderley Primary School

About Kinderley Primary School

Kinderley Primary School in Fenland was rated Good overall by Ofsted in its most recent inspection in 2024, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2022. The school received Good across all five graded categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. On the most telling exam metric for a primary school, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined stood at 43 per cent in the 2023/24 academic year. That is well below the Cambridgeshire local authority average of 58 per cent. The school’s ranking within Fenland reflects this: it sits 22nd out of 28 primary schools in the borough, placing it in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. However, the picture is uneven across subjects. Reading is a clear strength, with 86 per cent of pupils reaching the expected standard and 14 per cent achieving a higher score, while maths and writing both sit at 43 per cent expected.

Digging deeper into the results, the average reading score was 104, compared with 97 in maths. No pupils reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, and progress scores are not available for any of the three subjects. The school is small, with 82 pupils on roll against a capacity of 91, and a high proportion — 50.6 per cent — are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average. The headteacher, Haidee Norman, leads a school that has clearly turned a corner in Ofsted’s eyes, but the academic data suggests there is still ground to make up, particularly in maths and writing. The previous inspection in 2022 had rated quality of education, early years provision, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all as Requires Improvement, so the jump to Good across the board in just over two years is a substantial achievement.

Kinderley offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, netball, cricket, athletics, dance and tennis, while clubs cover art, choir, drama, gardening and coding. The school has nursery provision for children from age two and provides for social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and other difficulties or disabilities. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: there were 9 applications for 7 places, with 6 first-preference offers made. This suggests a local reputation that may not fully align with the raw exam data. Kinderley is a state primary for mixed genders from ages 2 to 11, with no religious character. It would suit families who value a small, improving school with strong pastoral and SEND support, and who are prepared to work with the school on raising academic outcomes, particularly in maths and writing.

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