Marleigh Primary Academy
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Marleigh Primary Academy is a free school in Cambridge for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 189 pupils and room for 472. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 89 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Marleigh Avenue, Cambridge, CB5 8BG01223 618081marleighprimary.orgMrs Emily Thompson headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 25 February 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
10 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 10 | 4 | 4 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 60% | – | – | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 10% | – | – | 8% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 103.0 | – | – | 106.0 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 103.0 | – | – | 104.6 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 108.0 | – | – | 105.2 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 60% | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 60% | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 70% | – | – | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
291 places were empty (69% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.
The last child to get a place lived 1.0 miles away in 2026, 1.7 miles away in 2025, 690 m away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.0 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 30 | 30 | 1.0 miles | LA |
| 2025 Primary | 30 | 30 | 1.7 miles | LA |
| 2024 Primary | 15 | 15 | 690 m | LA |
| 2023 Primary | 15 | 15 | 0.7 miles | LA |
The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.
What a home within 1.0 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.3 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (9), language and communications needs (7), Moderate learning difficulty (3), Physical disability (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 189 | 150 | 108 | 60 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 18% | 9% | 7% | 12% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 37% | 35% | 25% | 27% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 10% | 13% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 4.6% | 6.3% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.6% | 5.2% | 5.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 9.9% | 17.2% | 21.1% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.7 | 0.9 | 5.0 | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teversham CofE VA Primary School | Church of England | 980 m | 161 | Good 2022 | 47 | Compare |
| Fen Ditton Primary School | Academy | 0.6 miles | 119 | Good 2022 | 63 | Compare |
| The Galfrid School | Academy | 0.9 miles | 211 | Good 2023 | 11 | Compare |
| St Philip's CofE Aided Primary School | Church of England | 1.5 miles | 198 | Report card 2026 | 10 | Compare |
| Shirley Community Primary School | Council | 1.5 miles | 303 | Good 2024 | 11 | Compare |
| Chesterton Primary School | Academy | 1.6 miles | 173 | Not inspected | 28 | Compare |
| Cherry Hinton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 1.6 miles | 177 | Good 2023 | 44 | Compare |
| Bewick Bridge Community Primary School | Council | 1.6 miles | 222 | Report card 2026 | 97 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Marleigh Primary Academy with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 89 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 89% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 75 to 96. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.03 | Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.54 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.09 | 2024/25; 111 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Marleigh Primary Academy a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Marleigh Primary Academy scores 89 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 85% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 75 to 96, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.
What is Marleigh Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Marleigh Primary Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 25 February 2025.
How good are Marleigh Primary Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 60% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 10% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Marleigh Primary Academy have?
189 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 472 places, so it is 40% full.
Is Marleigh Primary Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.0 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Marleigh Primary Academy?
Pupils were in school 95.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Marleigh Primary Academy?
The average class had 24.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Marleigh Avenue, Cambridge, CB5 8BG
- Telephone
- 01223 618081
- Website
- marleighprimary.org
- Headteacher
- Mrs Emily Thompson
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Anglian Learning (22 schools)
- Local authority
- Cambridgeshire
- Ward
- Fen Ditton & Fulbourn
- Constituency
- South Cambridgeshire
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2022 (academy free school)
- URN
- 149098 · LAESTAB 8732099 · UKPRN 10090879
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Cambridgeshire council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.