Downham Feoffees Primary Academy, Ely

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Downham Feoffees Primary Academy on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders' actions have prioritised reading, writing and mathematics."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to attend as often as possible."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is ambitious and broad."

Early years - Expected standard. "The early years foundation stage is effectively led."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify pupils' barriers for learning effectively."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for further development."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is comprehensive and well taught."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that their work ensures consistently strong outcomes for all groups of pupils by the end of key stage 2"; "Leaders should further improve the consistency of feedback across the curriculum so that pupils are precisely supported to understand and act upon feedback to improve their work"; "Leaders should build on their work to provide a broad, rich enrichment offer that develops pupils' confidence and raises their aspirations, and ensure, through rigorous monitoring, high levels of participation of all groups in these opportunities"; "Leaders should refine and develop their work so that groups of pupils across the school have consistently high rates of attendance".

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a happy and hardworking school and are proud to be based in Little Downham. Our aim is to ensure that the children flourish in each community that they belong to - their family, their school and wider. Everyone at Downham Feoffees works together as a team to teach and to learn."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, basketball, multi-sports, drama, choir, chess and art.

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils at Downham Feoffees Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Cambridgeshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 68% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 21 families put Downham Feoffees Primary Academy as their first choice and 27 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Downham Feoffees Primary Academy are Isle of Ely Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 91% reading, 88% maths); Lantern Community Primary School (2 miles, Good, 78% reading, 76% maths); Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School (2.3 miles, Good, 68% reading, 73% maths); and Spring Meadow Infant School (2.4 miles, Good).

Downham Feoffees Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

Downham Feoffees Primary Academy is one of 36 schools run by Meridian Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

14% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 38 pupils (25.3%) received SEN support and 4 (2.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Downham Feoffees Primary Academy had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Ely Rail Station, about 3.1 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School Lane (near), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 12 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57).

In 2024/25, Downham Feoffees Primary Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.