Paston Ridings Primary School
About Paston Ridings Primary School
Paston Ridings Primary School in Peterborough is a mixed state primary for children aged 4 to 11, currently teaching 369 pupils against a capacity of 480. That leaves some physical room to grow, but the school is already oversubscribed for Reception places in the 2025/26 admissions round. With 29 first-preference applications for 29 places and a total of 39 applications, the oversubscription ratio sits at 1.34, meaning demand is solid but not frantic. What really stands out is the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals: 52.8 per cent. That is well above the national average for primary schools and signals a catchment with significant economic disadvantage. The school’s religious character is listed as ‘does not apply’, so there is no faith-based admissions criteria. Headteacher Colette Firth leads a school that, based on its intake profile, is serving a community with higher-than-average levels of deprivation, and the oversubscription figures suggest local families are actively choosing it despite that context.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
1 Feb 2024Latest monitoring visit (1 Feb 2024): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 9 Mar 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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