The Spinney Primary School, Cambridge

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades The Spinney Primary School 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. "At the end of Year 6, many pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Many pupils attend regularly."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a broad curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have prioritised the early years."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff identify pupils' needs quickly and precisely."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are clear about the vision for the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal development programme is well considered."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that there is a consistent and clear focus on helping pupils secure accurate letter and number formation so that pupils' accuracy improves and does not hinder their achievement in writing and mathematics"; "Leaders should continue their work to improve the quality of teaching across the curriculum and further raise pupils' attainment".

In its own words: "The Governing Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the school. From this, we develop our vision and core values. Our vision for the school sets out how we want it to develop over time, and what we want it to achieve for pupils, staff and the school community."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis and gardening.

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.

Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 11am and an open day on Thursday 10 December 2026 at 4pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at The Spinney Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Cambridgeshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 86% in reading and 86% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 12 families put The Spinney Primary School as their first choice and 39 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 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 The Spinney Primary School are Cherry Hinton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths); Colville Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 69% reading, 69% maths); Queen Emma Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 84% reading, 87% maths); and Bewick Bridge Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths).

The Spinney Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Spinney Primary School (as of April 2026): 86% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).

9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 42.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (35%), Asian (14%) and Mixed (11%).

The Spinney Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 31 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Cambridge Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Spinney Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 160 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Spinney Primary School issued 6 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to The Spinney Primary School are St Bede's Inter-Church School (0.3 miles), The Netherhall School (0.7 miles), Coleridge Community College (0.8 miles) and Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology (1.7 miles).