Buckden CofE Primary School, St Neots

Outstanding
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 511

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.8km)Possible (~2.5km)Unlikely (~3.3km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Michelle Heather
Pupils:331 / 350 capacity
LA:Cambridgeshire
Phone:01480810241
Address:School Lane, Buckden, St Neots, PE19 5TT
Trust:ACT MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 November 2011

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 23 April 2025View full report
URN:137639
UKPRN:10035513
Diocese:Diocese of Ely
Constituency:Huntingdon
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school creates a caring environment where children feel heard and supported. The strong reading programme helps all pupils develop confidence, and the ambitious curriculum ensures children learn important knowledge across all subjects. Pupils also develop practical skills like musical talents and learn about real-world issues through engaging activities.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent reading programme with strong staff training and support for pupils who struggle to catch up quickly
  • Highly ambitious, well-planned curriculum that covers breadth of subjects and ensures pupils remember key knowledge through regular revisiting
  • Strong support for pupils with SEND, enabling most to access the same curriculum alongside their peers
  • Positive behaviour management with effective tracking and proactive responses to patterns
  • Rich personal development programme covering global issues, online safety, and musical learning

Areas for Improvement

  • In a few subjects, teaching focus and activities do not precisely match the intended curriculum knowledge, slowing pupils' progress
  • Some teachers need better subject knowledge and clearer presentation of knowledge in certain subjects

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Extracurricular Activities

House captains, sports captains, pupil parliament, eco council, daily walk or run, sports teams and events, recorder, piano, drums

Buckden CofE Primary School is a warm, nurturing, inclusive school where pupils are respectful of each other and work hard to achieve well. The school has a highly ambitious curriculum and strong focus on reading, with good provision for pupils with additional needs.

At a Glance

11.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, HI - Hearing Impairment, SLCN - Speech, language and Communication

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

151 responses
Would recommend93%
Child is happy95%
Well taught91%
Good progress85%
Feels safe91%
Well behaved80%
Bullying dealt with15%
Kept informed92%
Handles concerns60%
Wider development78%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-10ppMaths-11ppWriting

Reading has declined from 81% to 71%. Maths has declined from 71% to 60%. Writing has remained stable at around 73%.

Class Sizes

23.4

Avg class size

22.8

Infant (KS1)

23.9

KS2

14

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Social & online

Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

95%

Near capacity

331 pupils

350 capacity

19 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - St Neots

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,126
Projected new pupils:282

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for St Neots

Admissions Demand - Cambridgeshire

Low demand0.78x oversubscription

Places available

8,190

Applications

6,413

Got 1st preference

94.4%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across Cambridgeshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

23 April 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
10 December 2020
19 March 2019

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.4757%

Overall absence

8.63787%

Persistent absence

301

Enrolments

Authorised3.82016%
Unauthorised0.65554%
Persistent (10%+)8.63787%
Severe (50%+)0.99668%

Absence trend

3.19529%
18/19
3.31232%
20/21
6.19564%
21/22
5.17121%
22/23
5.40698%
23/24
4.4757%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.