School Chooser

Queen Emma Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedFoundation391 pupilsCambridgeCambridgeshire
School Chooser Score
84
Above
similar schools
Likely range 72 to 92
Out of 100. Better than 69% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1171%England 63%
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families19%A bit fewer than most schools
PlacesFull391 pupils, 390 places
Pupils per teacher23.6School workforce census

Queen Emma Primary School is a foundation school in Cambridge for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 391 pupils, 1 more than it has places for. About 19 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 84 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Gunhild Way, Cambridge, CB1 8QY01223 714300queenemmaschool.org.ukMrs S Jarman headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 29 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

55 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1171%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2018 to 2025
2018: 67%67%20182019: 63%63%20192023: 62%62%20232024: 53%53%20242025: 71%71%2025
Since 2018: +4%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018CambridgeshireEngland
Pupils tested5553605458
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths71%53%62%63%67%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%19%20%7%9%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0106.0107.0105.0107.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0104.0104.0104.0106.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0105.0108.0105.0108.0105.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard84%72%77%74%84%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard87%62%70%72%81%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%58%67%72%78%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.4+1.1+1.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.7-0.9+0.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%13%37%9%30%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged76%70%73%77%75%

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 4 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
57%76%
Gap 19 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
58%81%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
81%71%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%13%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places356 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
85% full

64 places were empty (15% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 12% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 870 m away in 2026, 0.8 miles away in 2025, 1.4 miles away in 2020. 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 870 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3030870 mLA
2025 Primary30300.8 milesLA
2020 Primary60601.4 milesLA
2018 Primary60601.8 milesLA

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 0.7 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 0.7 miles of the school£515,000half sold for £412k to £665k
Homes sold219December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+4%a typical home in the district sells for £495,000

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.

Pupils on roll391Census January 2026
Places390100% full
Pupils from low-income families17%19% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English47%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%26 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%17 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.412 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)20%£102,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls210 / 181
White British pupils30%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.4 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (14), emotional and mental health (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (2), Vision impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll391405429475468469
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%21%19%19%18%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language47%45%49%49%46%42%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%7%8%5%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%3%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.22024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.5%5.3%5.6%6.6%3.9%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.4%4.5%5.8%3.6%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.0%1.0%0.8%0.3%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.8%15.4%15.1%21.5%8.0%5.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.23.03.41.30.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers15.7full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher23.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,186
Teachers who left in the year15%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.62024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,088England £7,738. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£7,265England £7,697. Total £2.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,940England £3,480
Money in reserve-16%In the red: -£468k, -£1,192 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£69kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,088spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m16312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate60 per 1,000 people34% lower than the England average
Typical house price£495,000Cambridge

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.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Queen Edith Primary SchoolFoundation610 m394Good 202382Compare
The Spinney Primary SchoolCouncil930 m177Report card 202685Compare
Colville Primary SchoolCouncil1000 m221No overall grade 202448Compare
Cherry Hinton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England0.8 miles177Good 202344Compare
Morley Memorial Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles371Good 202460Compare
Ridgefield Primary SchoolFoundation0.8 miles205Good 202385Compare
Bewick Bridge Community Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles222Report card 202697Compare
St Philip's CofE Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England1.2 miles198Report card 202610Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Queen Emma Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats69%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 84 is 15 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 69 · highest 96100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 84 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 84% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 72 to 92. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.13
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 55 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.31
DfE progress measure; 55 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 355 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 55 pupils
What parents say0%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 Queen Emma Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Queen Emma Primary School scores 84 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 72 to 92, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Queen Emma Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Queen Emma Primary School good at its last full inspection on 29 June 2023.

How good are Queen Emma Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 71% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Queen Emma Primary School have?

391 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 390 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Queen Emma Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 870 m 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 Queen Emma Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Queen Emma Primary School?

The average class had 27.4 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
Gunhild Way, Cambridge, CB1 8QY
Telephone
01223 714300
Website
www.queenemmaschool.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs S Jarman
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Cambridgeshire
Ward
Queen Edith's
Constituency
South Cambridgeshire
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2011 (new provision)
URN
136241 · LAESTAB 8733946 · UKPRN 10079924

Where these figures come from