St Botolph's Church of England Primary School

About St Botolph's Church of England Primary School

St Botolph's Church of England Primary School is a popular choice among Peterborough families, with 34 of the 35 places available for the 2025/26 intake going to first-preference applicants. The school received 83 applications in total, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.37, meaning more than two families applied for every place. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, though the school does not publish a parent-view recommendation percentage, so it's not possible to gauge satisfaction through that particular metric. The school is led by headteacher Rachel Rayner and has a Church of England religious character, which may appeal to families seeking a faith-based primary education. With 371 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is operating below its maximum, leaving some room for late applicants or in-year admissions.

Academically, St Botolph's presents a mixed picture. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2015. However, Key Stage 2 outcomes for 2023/24 show that only 41% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is well below the Peterborough local authority average of 59%. The school ranks 48th out of 53 primary schools in the local authority on this measure, placing it in the bottom half. Individual subject scores are more encouraging: 71% reached the expected standard in writing, 61% in reading, and 54% in maths. Average scaled scores were 103 for reading and 102 for maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a forest school area, and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England foundation. Sports provision includes netball, swimming, tennis and athletics, while extracurricular clubs cover chess, choir and drama. For families with children who have additional needs, St Botolph's has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is oversubscribed, so early application is advisable for those considering it as a first choice. It may particularly suit families who value a faith-based setting and a broad range of outdoor and sporting activities, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes at KS2 may want to compare results with higher-performing local schools such as Barnack CofE Primary or Winyates Primary.

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