School Chooser

St Alban's Catholic Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyRoman Catholic205 pupilsCambridgeCambridgeshire
School Chooser Score
96
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 88 to 99
Out of 100. Better than 87% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, May 2025
Reached the expected level at 1183%England 63%
Attendance97.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families4%Far fewer than most schools
Places5 spare205 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher21.5School workforce census

St Alban's Catholic Primary School is a converter academy in Cambridge for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 205 pupils and room for 210. About 4 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 96 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EN01223 712148stalbans.cambs.sch.ukMr Christopher Wright headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 May 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.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1183%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level20%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score109.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 73%73%20172018: 85%85%20182019: 80%80%20192023: 87%87%20232024: 83%83%20242025: 83%83%2025
Since 2017: +10%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024†2023†2019†2018†2017†CambridgeshireEngland
Pupils tested302930302730
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths83%83%87%80%85%73%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths20%10%10%13%7%13%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0109.0111.0109.0110.0106.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score109.0110.0110.0108.0109.0106.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0112.0110.0109.0110.0108.0105.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%90%93%97%96%77%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard93%97%93%100%100%87%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)87%83%90%80%89%77%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.3+4.8+2.4+1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+5.7+2.8+2.2+1.7

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.

† These results are for St Alban's Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. None of the 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 11Boys vs girls
76%92%
Gap 16 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
88%83%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 4 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. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Full210 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
100% full

The school is full. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 2.4 miles away in 2026, 1.7 miles away in 2025, 5.9 miles 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 2.4 miles 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 Primary30302.4 milesLA
2025 Primary30301.7 milesLA
2024 Primary30305.9 milesLA
2023 Primary30302.3 milesLA
2022 Primary30302.5 milesLA
2021 Primary30301.5 milesLA
2020 Primary30312.1 milesLA
2019 Primary30301.1 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 1.7 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.7 miles of the school£525,000half sold for £405k to £733k
Homes sold1,518December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+6%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 roll205Census January 2026
Places21098% full
Pupils from low-income families4%4% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English63%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%20 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.37 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)3%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls108 / 97
White British pupils24%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (6), language and communications needs (6), emotional and mental health (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Multi-sensory impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll205211
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals4%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language63%64%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school1.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.0%3.0%3.5%5.4%1.3%3.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.0%2.3%2.8%4.6%1.0%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.0%0.8%0.7%0.8%0.3%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence1.1%2.7%3.3%9.3%1.1%2.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0

† These attendance figures are for St Alban's Catholic Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.6full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher21.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,083
Teachers who left in the year18%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.32024/25

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.

Spend per pupil£5,374England £7,128. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£5,877England £7,587. Total £1.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,085England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £74k, £351 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£106kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,374spent 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 m50712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate93 per 1,000 peopleabout 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
St Pauls CofE VA Primary SchoolChurch of England160 m152Report card 202617Compare
St Matthew's Primary SchoolCouncil880 m628Good 202079Compare
Newnham Croft Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles221Good 202492Compare
Park Street CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England0.9 miles116Good 202387Compare
Morley Memorial Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles371Good 202460Compare
Ridgefield Primary SchoolFoundation1.1 miles205Good 202385Compare
St Philip's CofE Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England1.2 miles198Report card 202610Compare
Milton Road Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles424No overall grade 202595Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Alban's Catholic Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats87%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 96 is 27 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 69 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 96 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 96% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 88 to 99. 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%well above
+0.29
2025 results; 30 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.18
Ofsted grade, 1.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.22
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 30 pupils
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.17
2024/25; 182 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 30 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Alban's Catholic Primary School scores 96 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 88 to 99, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Alban's Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Alban's Catholic Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 7 May 2025.

How good are St Alban's Catholic Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 83% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 20% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Alban's Catholic Primary School have?

205 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 98% full.

Is St Alban's Catholic Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 2.4 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 St Alban's Catholic Primary School?

Pupils were in school 97.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 1% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Alban's Catholic Primary School?

The average class had 29.3 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
Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EN
Telephone
01223 712148
Website
www.stalbans.cambs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Christopher Wright
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Roman Catholic, Diocese of East Anglia
Multi-academy trust
Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Multi Academy Trust (11 schools)
Local authority
Cambridgeshire
Ward
Market
Constituency
Cambridge
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2024 (academy converter)
URN
150571 · LAESTAB 8733360 · UKPRN 10094545
Formerly
St Alban's Catholic Primary School

Where these figures come from