Lantern Community Primary School

About Lantern Community Primary School

Lantern Community Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 116 applications for just 47 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.47. Of those, 46 first-preference families were offered a spot, meaning the vast majority of successful applicants had it as their top choice. While the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, this level of demand speaks volumes about its reputation in East Cambridgeshire. The school is a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery provision on site. It is non-religious, with no formal religious character, and is led by headteacher Chris Axten-Higgs. With 400 pupils on roll against a capacity of 444, there is a small amount of headroom, but the oversubscription figures suggest that getting a place is far from guaranteed.

Academically, Lantern Community Primary performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the Cambridgeshire local authority average of 58%. The school ranks 3rd out of 27 primary schools in East Cambridgeshire on this metric, placing it in the top 12% locally. Nationally, it sits in the top 27% of all primary schools. Subject-level results are strong: 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 81% in maths, and 79% in writing. Higher-standard attainment is also notable, with 32% reaching the higher level in reading and 25% in maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with Good for both leadership and management and the quality of education. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2012, when it was judged to require improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, ICT suite, sports hall, music rooms, playing fields and even a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, swimming, cross country, cricket and tennis, while clubs extend to gardening, science, film, coding, drama and choir. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong academic results, clear improvement trajectory and high local demand, Lantern Community Primary is a strong fit for families who prioritise solid core subject outcomes and a broad extracurricular offer, particularly those living within a reasonable catchment area of the school.

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