Steeple Morden CofE VC Primary School, Royston

Requires Improvement
Primary
Voluntary controlled school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.7km)Possible (~2.5km)Unlikely (~3.2km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Alexandra Housden
Pupils:141 / 208 capacity
LA:Cambridgeshire
Phone:01763852474
Address:7 Hay Street, Steeple Morden, Royston, SG8 0PD
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Requires Improvement

Overall

URN:110793
UKPRN:10070514
Diocese:Diocese of Ely
Constituency:South Cambridgeshire
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school has created a warm, orderly environment where pupils behave well and feel cared for. The new leadership team is ambitious for all pupils and making real improvements to school life, from better attendance systems to enhanced outdoor play provision. Parents are very positive about the changes being made and pupils appreciate the support they receive.

Key Strengths

  • Attendance has improved significantly, especially for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
  • Pupil behaviour is typically good with a calm, orderly school environment
  • Strong personal development programme covering anti-bullying, online safety, healthy eating and financial literacy
  • Excellent pastoral care including counselling support for pupil wellbeing
  • New outdoor adventure play provision is developing teamwork, creativity and problem-solving skills

Areas for Improvement

  • Pupil attainment in writing is below national averages
  • Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes lag behind national averages in reading and mathematics
  • Pupils with SEND do not make suitable progress and teaching is not always adapted to meet their needs
  • Some staff lack clarity or ambition in expectations for what pupils should achieve
  • Teaching sometimes does not focus well enough on gaps in pupils' reading, writing and mathematics knowledge

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports clubs, house captains, play leaders, school council, travel ambassadors

Steeple Morden CofE VC Primary School is on an upward trajectory with new leadership making significant positive improvements. However, pupil achievement in writing and progress for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND needs to improve.

At a Glance

12.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-25ppMaths-8ppWriting+4pp

Reading has declined from 86% to 61%. Maths has declined from 75% to 67%. Writing has improved from 57% to 61%.

Class Sizes

25.7

Avg class size

25.5

KS2

3

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

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

68%

Available places

141 pupils

208 capacity

67 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Royston

Low pressure
New homes approved:718
Projected new pupils:180

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Royston

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(108)

Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement

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

7.84149%

Overall absence

20.30075%

Persistent absence

133

Enrolments

Authorised5.78236%
Unauthorised2.05913%
Persistent (10%+)20.30075%
Severe (50%+)1.50376%

Absence trend

3.09043%
18/19
3.0589%
20/21
6.87484%
21/22
6.08442%
22/23
7.22174%
23/24
7.84149%
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.