Willingham Primary School

South Cambridgeshire · CB24 5LE

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 364 pupils, 27.2% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 19.2% on SEN support Behaviour 4.8% absence rate Staff 8.1% turnover Financials £7,388 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Willingham Primary School

General Information

Address: Thodays Close, Willingham, Cambridge, CB24 5LE – View on map
Phone: 01954283030
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Miss Mona Paalanen
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 48 families put it first for 48 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 9 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

364 pupils out of 420 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 99
% eligible for free school meals: 27.2%
Pupil mix: 5 in 10 (similar to the South Cambridgeshire average)
English as an additional language: 10% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 8.1% a year (South Cambridgeshire 17.7%, typical in England 13.9%) Low turnover
Where they went: about 48% moved to another school, 52% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. "Low turnover" means it's among the quarter of similar schools in England where teachers are most likely to stay.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Cambridgeshire: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 7 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 9 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 3 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Cambridgeshire (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 4.8%
Persistently absent pupils: 13.4%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 19.2%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.5%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Moderate learning difficulty: 27 pupils
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 17 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 13 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 6 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 2 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Hearing impairment: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 51% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 3% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 12 percentage points below the South Cambridgeshire average (63%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well below (3-year average 46% against an expected 68%)
3-year average (expected standard): 46%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 68% · Writing 62% · Maths 70% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 73%
Average test scores: reading 105, maths 104
Based on: 37 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSouth Cambridgeshire averageEngland↗ Improving Up 7 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 12 percentage points below the South Cambridgeshire average (63%).

Year 6 SATs: 47th of 57 junior and primary schools in the area

#45Pendragon Community Primary School55%
#46Bassingbourn Primary School52%
#47Willingham Primary School51%
#48Haslingfield Endowed Primary School48%
=49Gamlingay Village Primary45%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Histon and Impington Brook Primary School90%
#2Histon and Impington Park Primary School85%
#3Babraham CofE (VC) Primary School81%
#4Meldreth Primary School79%
#5Elsworth CofE VA Primary School77%
#6Fulbourn Primary School76%
=7Jeavons Wood Primary School75%
=7Stapleford Community Primary School75%
=7Thriplow CofE Primary School75%
#10Bar Hill Community Primary School74%
=11Swavesey Primary School73%
=11Teversham CofE VA Primary School73%
=13Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School72%
=13Oakington CofE Primary School72%
=15Linton Heights Junior School71%
=15William Westley Church of England VC Primary School71%
=17Dry Drayton CofE (C) Primary School70%
=17Great Wilbraham CofE Primary Academy70%
=17The Bellbird Primary School70%
=20Hauxton Primary School69%
=20Milton Church of England Primary School69%
=22Hatton Park Primary School68%
=22Monkfield Park Primary School68%
#24Foxton Primary School67%
=25Meadow Primary School65%
=25Pathfinder CofE Primary School65%
=27Bourn CofE Primary Academy63%
=27Castle Camps Church of England (Controlled) Primary School63%
=27Fen Ditton Primary School63%
=27Trumpington Meadows Primary School63%
#31Melbourn Primary School62%
=32Caldecote Primary School61%
=32Cottenham Primary School61%
=32Girton Glebe Primary School61%
#35Marleigh Primary Academy60%
=36Barton CofE VA Primary School59%
=36The Icknield Primary School59%
=38Duxford Church of England Community Primary School58%
=38Fen Drayton Primary School58%
=38Meridian Primary School58%
#41Waterbeach Community Primary School57%
=42Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary School56%
=42Steeple Morden CofE VC Primary School56%
=42The Vine Inter-Church Primary School56%
#45Pendragon Community Primary School55%
#46Bassingbourn Primary School52%
#47Willingham Primary School51%
#48Haslingfield Endowed Primary School48%
=49Gamlingay Village Primary45%
=49Great Abington Primary School45%
=51Coton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School43%
=51Petersfield CofE Aided Primary School43%
#53Orchard Park Community Primary School41%
#54Barrington CofE VC Primary School40%
#55The Newton Community Primary School33%
#56Fowlmere Primary School25%
#57Over Primary School21%

View full Ofsted inspection report

43rd of 46 primary schools in South Cambridgeshire for Ofsted rating

#41Trumpington Meadows Primary SchoolGood
#42Waterbeach Community Primary SchoolGood
#43Willingham Primary SchoolGood
#44Coton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#45Over Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Histon and Impington Park Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2Bar Hill Community Primary SchoolGood
#3Barrington CofE VC Primary SchoolGood
#4Barton CofE VA Primary SchoolGood
#5Bourn CofE Primary AcademyGood
#6Caldecote Primary SchoolGood
#7Cottenham Primary SchoolGood
#8Dry Drayton CofE (C) Primary SchoolGood
#9Duxford Church of England Community Primary SchoolGood
#10Elsworth CofE VA Primary SchoolGood
#11Fen Ditton Primary SchoolGood
#12Fen Drayton Primary SchoolGood
#13Fowlmere Primary SchoolGood
#14Foxton Primary SchoolGood
#15Fulbourn Primary SchoolGood
#16Gamlingay Village PrimaryGood
#17Girton Glebe Primary SchoolGood
#18Great Abington Primary SchoolGood
#19Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolGood
#20Guilden Morden CofE Primary AcademyGood
#21Harston and Newton Primary SchoolGood
#22Haslingfield Endowed Primary SchoolGood
#23Hatton Park Primary SchoolGood
#24Hauxton Primary SchoolGood
#25Meadow Primary SchoolGood
#26Meridian Primary SchoolGood
#27Milton Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#28Monkfield Park Primary SchoolGood
#29Oakington CofE Primary SchoolGood
#30Orchard Park Community Primary SchoolGood
#31Pathfinder CofE Primary SchoolGood
#32Pendragon Community Primary SchoolGood
#33Petersfield CofE Aided Primary SchoolGood
#34Stapleford Community Primary SchoolGood
#35Teversham CofE VA Primary SchoolGood
#36The Bellbird Primary SchoolGood
#37The Icknield Primary SchoolGood
#38The Newton Community Primary SchoolGood
#39The Vine Inter-Church Primary SchoolGood
#40Thriplow CofE Primary SchoolGood
#41Trumpington Meadows Primary SchoolGood
#42Waterbeach Community Primary SchoolGood
#43Willingham Primary SchoolGood
#44Coton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#45Over Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#46Great Wilbraham CofE Primary AcademyInadequate

Financials

Spending per pupil: £7,388 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

18th of 58 primary schools in South Cambridgeshire for spending per pupil

#16Coton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School£7,561
#17Great Abington Primary School£7,539
#18Willingham Primary School£7,388
#19Great Wilbraham CofE Primary Academy£7,224
#20Swavesey Primary School£7,198

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1The Newton Community Primary School£10,980
#2Marleigh Primary Academy£9,653
#3Hauxton Primary School£9,513
#4Foxton Primary School£9,481
#5Guilden Morden CofE Primary Academy£9,305
#6Dry Drayton CofE (C) Primary School£9,106
#7Fen Drayton Primary School£8,717
#8Orchard Park Community Primary School£8,370
#9Fowlmere Primary School£8,315
#10Teversham CofE VA Primary School£8,249
#11Meldreth Primary School£8,235
#12Trumpington Meadows Primary School£7,843
#13Fulbourn Primary School£7,674
#14Steeple Morden CofE VC Primary School£7,659
#15Histon and Impington Brook Primary School£7,574
#16Coton Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School£7,561
#17Great Abington Primary School£7,539
#18Willingham Primary School£7,388
#19Great Wilbraham CofE Primary Academy£7,224
#20Swavesey Primary School£7,198
#21Fen Ditton Primary School£7,169
#22Girton Glebe Primary School£7,130
#23Castle Camps Church of England (Controlled) Primary School£7,111
#24Melbourn Primary School£7,104
#25Pendragon Community Primary School£7,054
#26Great and Little Shelford CofE (Aided) Primary School£7,029
#27Duxford Church of England Community Primary School£6,998
#28The Icknield Primary School£6,944
#29Caldecote Primary School£6,929
#30Stapleford Community Primary School£6,918
#31Petersfield CofE Aided Primary School£6,851
#32William Westley Church of England VC Primary School£6,777
#33Monkfield Park Primary School£6,765
#34The Vine Inter-Church Primary School£6,718
#35Meridian Primary School£6,705
#36Barrington CofE VC Primary School£6,661
#37Oakington CofE Primary School£6,600
#38Bassingbourn Primary School£6,557
#39Elsworth CofE VA Primary School£6,534
#40Meadow Primary School£6,498
#41Haslingfield Endowed Primary School£6,483
#42Babraham CofE (VC) Primary School£6,465
#43Barton CofE VA Primary School£6,418
#44Bourn CofE Primary Academy£6,405
#45Thriplow CofE Primary School£6,394
#46Over Primary School£6,306
#47Cottenham Primary School£6,296
#48The Bellbird Primary School£6,253
#49Bar Hill Community Primary School£6,107
#50Waterbeach Community Primary School£6,102
#51Jeavons Wood Primary School£6,095
#52Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary School£6,084
#53Gamlingay Village Primary£6,020
#54Milton Church of England Primary School£5,872
#55Harston and Newton Primary School£5,624
#56Pathfinder CofE Primary School£5,543
#57Hatton Park Primary School£5,282
#58Histon and Impington Park Primary School£5,032

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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