The Weatheralls Primary School

About The Weatheralls Primary School

The Weatheralls Primary School in Soham sits well below the Cambridgeshire local authority average for primary schools on its headline Key Stage 2 measure. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 58%, just 32% of Weatheralls pupils achieved that benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. That gap of 26 percentage points is significant and places the school 183rd out of 210 primary schools in the county, firmly in the bottom quarter. Its ranking score of 32 puts it in the bottom 50% nationally, and within East Cambridgeshire it ranks 26th out of 27 schools. These are sobering numbers for parents to weigh, though the school does serve a community with above-average disadvantage — 30% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, nearly double the national average.

The Ofsted picture is mixed. The school’s most recent graded inspection in October 2023 rated overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, the same grade it received in its previous inspection in 2019. However, the breakdown shows some areas performing better: behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision were all rated Good. The quality of education remains Requires Improvement, which aligns with the KS2 results. Looking at individual subjects, 58% of pupils met the expected standard in maths (in line with the LA average of 58%), and 57% did so in reading. But writing lagged at 42%, and only 4% reached the higher standard across all three subjects. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is unclear whether pupils are making typical gains from their starting points.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 49 applications for 38 places and 21 first-preference offers, suggesting local demand remains strong despite the academic picture. Facilities include a gymnasium, library, ICT suite, outdoor playground and a chapel, and the school offers a wide range of clubs from book club and chess to drama and science club. Sports provision covers gymnastics, football, dance, cricket and cross country. The SEND register is broad, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With nursery provision on site and a 3–11 age range, this is a full primary option. It may suit families who value the Good-rated pastoral and behavioural environment and are comfortable with the academic challenges, or those whose children need the specialist SEND support on offer.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Weatheralls Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents