Townley Primary School

About Townley Primary School

Townley Primary School sits within Cambridgeshire local authority, a small village primary in Fenland that serves just 104 pupils from age two to eleven. In the local rankings for primary schools, it places 168th out of 210 schools of the same type in the authority, with a ranking score of 43 on the key stage two expected standard metric. That puts it in the bottom half of schools nationally, though it's worth noting the top-performing peers in the area include Histon and Impington Brook Primary School, Caldecote Primary School, and Abbots Ripton CofE Primary School, all of which score considerably higher. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with six first-preference offers made for six available places and seven total applications, giving a modest oversubscription ratio of 1.17. It's a state-funded, mixed-gender primary with no religious character, led by headteacher Maria-Anne Higgins, and includes a nursery provision for younger children.

Academically, Townley's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2022 rated the school Good overall, with Good marks across all five graded categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This represents a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, with leadership and management also at that lower level. At key stage two in the 2023/24 academic year, 43% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the Cambridgeshire local authority average of 58%. In individual subjects, 86% met expectations in reading and in maths, while 57% did so in writing. The average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 105 in maths. Only 14% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects, though 29% achieved higher in writing.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including art studios, music rooms, a gymnasium, sensory room, ICT suite, outdoor playground, sports hall and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, football, cross country, dance and tennis, while extracurricular clubs include chess, film club, book club, choir and eco club. Townley has identified five areas of special educational needs and disabilities provision, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech language and communication needs. With just over 29% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. It's a small, oversubscribed village primary that suits families looking for a close-knit setting with nursery through to year six, particularly those who value the recent improvement in Ofsted grading and the range of on-site facilities despite its modest size.

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