School Chooser

St Andrew's CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademyChurch of England461 pupilsNurseryElyCambridgeshire
School Chooser Score
66
Above
similar schools
Likely range 47 to 81, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1175%England 63%
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places19 spare461 pupils, 480 places
Pupils per teacher24.1School workforce census

St Andrew's CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Ely for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 461 pupils and room for 480. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 66 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Sand Street, Soham, Ely, CB7 5AA01353 720345san.graceschools.org.ukMrs Rebecca Ireland-Curtis headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 14 March 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1175%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 67%67%20172018: 54%54%20182019: 56%56%20192023: 78%78%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 75%75%2025
Since 2017: +8%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CambridgeshireEngland
Pupils tested565958598054
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths75%71%78%56%54%67%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%5%2%2%1%4%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0107.0108.0105.0103.0106.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0106.0107.0102.0103.0105.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0107.0109.0106.0103.0108.0105.2105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%85%84%83%71%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard80%76%88%64%71%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%78%84%73%60%80%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.0-0.2-1.9+1.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.5-4.0-0.8+0.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged56%53%73%40%50%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged79%77%79%59%55%74%

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
56%79%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
67%85%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
82%75%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full417 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
99% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 0.8 miles away in 2026, 0.8 miles away in 2025, 640 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 0.8 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 Primary60600.8 milesLA
2025 Primary60600.8 milesLA
2024 Primary6060640 mLA
2023 Primary6060850 mLA
2022 Primary60600.6 miles (catchment area)LA
2021 Primary6060890 mLA
2020 Primary6060600 mLA
2019 Primary6060740 mLA

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 0.8 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 0.8 miles of the school£275,000half sold for £230k to £346k
Homes sold199December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-21%a typical home in the district sells for £346,750

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 roll461Census January 2026
Places48096% full
Pupils from low-income families16%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English11%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%101 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%20 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.816 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£108,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls248 / 213
White British pupils78%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (41), Moderate learning difficulty (24), language and communications needs (24), Specific learning difficulty (18), Physical disability (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (6).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll461460468470462462
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals16%15%15%14%12%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language11%13%12%13%13%11%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support25%24%22%28%33%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%4%4%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 school11.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.5%5.5%5.4%6.9%3.3%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.8%4.6%4.6%6.0%2.8%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.8%0.8%0.9%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence11.3%13.6%11.4%18.8%7.6%3.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.43.91.51.50.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.6full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher24.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants21.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,702
Teachers who left in the year6%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.22024/25

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£5,504England £7,128. Total £2.5m
Income per pupil£6,228England £7,587. Total £2.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,811England £3,405
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £243k, £529 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£333kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,504spent 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 m8512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people38% lower than the England average
Typical house price£346,500East Cambridgeshire

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
The Weatheralls Primary SchoolAcademy910 m342Requires improvement 20232Compare
The Shade Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles250No overall grade 202443Compare
Fordham CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.6 miles413Good 202332Compare
Isleham Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.3 miles201Report card 202642Compare
Burwell Village College (Primary)Council3.5 miles374Good 202465Compare
Exning Primary SchoolAcademy4.5 miles223Outstanding 202091Compare
Little Thetford CofE Primary SchoolAcademy4.6 miles78Good 202181Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Andrew's CofE 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.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 66 is 18 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 48 · highest 93100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 66 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 66% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 47 to 81. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 56 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.10
DfE progress measure; 56 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 364 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 56 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 Andrew's CofE Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Andrew's CofE Primary School scores 66 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 47 to 81, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St Andrew's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Andrew's CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 14 March 2023.

How good are St Andrew's CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 75% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Andrew's CofE Primary School have?

461 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 480 places, so it is 96% full.

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

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 0.8 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 Andrew's CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Andrew's CofE Primary School?

The average class had 28.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 25% of classes 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
Sand Street, Soham, Ely, CB7 5AA
Telephone
01353 720345
Website
san.graceschools.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Rebecca Ireland-Curtis
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Ely
Multi-academy trust
Grace Schools (38 schools)
Local authority
Cambridgeshire
Ward
Soham South
Constituency
Ely and East Cambridgeshire
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2014 (academy converter)
URN
141552 · LAESTAB 8733083 · UKPRN 10047880
Formerly
St Andrew's CofE Primary School

Where these figures come from