Ofsted says pupils at Cambridge school ‘not achieving as well as they should’

The school says that “all necessary improvements are already underway”

A Cambridge primary school has been told it ‘needs attention’ by Ofsted. After dropping from an overall ‘good’ rating in their previous inspection, staff members at St Philip’s CofE Aided Primary School said they have recognised “some areas need continued attention” and that “all the necessary improvements are already well underway”, which Ofsted noted.

The report, which was published on Thursday, May 14, judged the primary school ‘expected standard’ in four areas assessed and ‘needs attention’ in three including in attendance and behaviour and achievement, and curriculum and teaching.

The report states that over time, pupils have “not achieved as well as they should”. It added: “Outcomes in national tests at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics dipped significantly in 2025. Although outcomes in reading and mathematics for all pupils were close to national averages, outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were significantly below.”

However, the inspection also identified that leaders have “taken steps to address weaknesses in pupils’ writing and have transformed support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils”. They have also “refreshed their approach to teaching phonics to improve achievement”, and Ofsted noted that this new approach has not been in place for sufficient time to be reflected in national test outcomes yet.

The safeguarding standards were met and early years, inclusion, leadership and governance and personal development and wellbeing were graded at ‘expected standard’.

The report said that leaders acknowledge that “too many pupils are or have been persistently absent and missing school”, and, as a result, a revised approach to improving attendance was introduced.

Inspectors found that teachers “do not consistently provide pupils with meaningful opportunities to develop the important knowledge they need in English and mathematics” and at times, pupils “do not receive helpful guidance and support to develop the accuracy of their reading or the clarity of their writing”.

“In some other subjects, leaders have not ensured that pupils learn the key vocabulary that they need to understand and explain their learning. This hinders the progress that pupils make”, the report continued.

However, Ofsted noted that leaders have an accurate view of curriculum strengths, have identified areas for development and have begun to bring about improvements.

A spokesperson for St Philip’s CofE Aided Primary School said: “We are pleased that the inspectors showed a balanced understanding of what St Philip’s does well, and what we are working to develop. The school has faced challenges in recent years; however, we now have a capable and committed new Headteacher.”

Ofsted praised the staff for being “passionate, knowledgeable and enthusiastic leadership” and noted that children “recognise the positive recent changes to their school” , “are proud to have roles and responsibilities that help them to contribute to school life” and “take these responsibilities seriously”.

A spokesperson for St Philip’s CofE Aided Primary School said “Although some areas need continued attention, the inspectors fully endorsed leaders’ decisions and priorities. They judged that only minor improvements need to be made for the school to be ‘Expected standard’ in all areas, and they noted that all the necessary improvements are already well underway.

“We are particularly pleased that the school met all Safeguarding criteria, and that our Leadership & Governance met the expected standard. Being a safe, well-led environment gives us solid foundations to grow and develop.

“Furthermore, the inspectors praised pupils’ wellbeing and behaviour, commenting on the kindness and consideration they had observed during their visit; this is endorsed by the 95% of respondents to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire who agreed that ‘My child is happy at this school’. (Although Attendance & Behaviour was graded as ‘Needs attention’, this was only because recent improvements in attendance have not yet been sustained over sufficient time.)

“We feel that the Ofsted summary of ‘What it’s like to be a pupil at this school’ gives an excellent and balanced picture, noting recent improvements in teaching and concluding that ‘the school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain’. Perhaps that’s why 95% of respondents to the Parent View questionnaire said that they would recommend St Philip’s to another parent.”