Primary Schools

[PAINTYOURWAGON]

What schools would you recommend to go to in Cambridge? live in CB1 area and don't mind to travel.

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

I think if you are thinking of state schools it will depend on the ccatchment, there are quite a few private prep schools in the area so I am sure there will be others around to advise you soon.

[shanjayne]

Definitely start with your catchment school and check that out. It's often quite hard to get into non-catchment schools. Parents don't quite have the choice of schools that was once advertised!

[Overmydeadbody]

If you're in CB1 you mught not have much choice, some of the schools in that catchment are very oversubscribed and hard to get in to, and are also very very good schools, and others are easier to get in to.

Deffo start with your catchment schools, do you know what they are yet? Then if you list them here people who know them can pass on their experiences.

None of the primary schools in CB1 are schools I would recommend avoiding though, they are all good, but for different reasons.

The only schools I would avoid are the Arbury ones.

[shanjayne]

Do you know which is your catchment school? Where do you live? PM me if you prefer than posting your details on here!

[PAINTYOURWAGON]

I live on Colville road cambridge and its for sept 2010 i know its early.

[Atzan]

You might find my Primary School catchments map helpful. As well as school and catchment locations, it also gives SAT scores and links to Ofsted inspections. The schools are listed in order of average SAT score over the past four years. Of course, take it with a pinch of salt as SAT scores are a pretty crude measure and don't give you the whole picture about a school.

The top schools are often oversubscribed though so it will be very difficult to get a place if you don't live in their catchment area. The County Council's school information sheets give more information about school admissions and which schools are usually oversubscribed.

[EachPeachPearMum]

Atzan... I don't currently require a primary school in Cambridge, but I am intrigued as to how you made that map... please could you point me in the right direction to get started?

[EachPeachPearMum]

My other comment is I am that your schools have set catchments... what if there are too many children born in the area, or parents moving in? Where I live the intake is done according to many critera (dependent on whether religious or not for a start) but the distance you need to live from school changes on an annual basis, and there are only a small handful of schools (from 450) where all applicants are admitted regardless of distance.

[Atzan]

EPPM, I made the map using information provided by Cambs County Council here. The maps provided by the council are only in outline form so I used the list of streets to produce a detailed map. The SATs data came from the BBC and Ofsted web sites.

Cambridge schools have their own catchments but admissions are of course influenced by application numbers. If a school is popular with parents and heavily subscribed, it may not have enough places for all the kids in its catchment area, in which case some will miss out (based on the published selection priority criteria) and have to go to neighbouring schools. Conversely, if the school is undersubscribed from within its catchment (which might just be because it has a small catchment rather than because it isn't popular), then places will be available for kids from outside the catchment, again chosen according to the selection criteria. The admission numbers and selection criteria for Cambridge primaries are given in the link above and here.

If a family move into an area, admission depends on which schools have available places in the relevant year group and, if spaces are available, they are allocated using the admissions criteria for that school.

[Atzan]

Oh, and of course you don't have to apply to the school in your catchment area, you can apply to whatever school you wish. If you apply to a school in a different catchment though, you'll be behind the kids from within that catchment in the queue for places. For popular schools, that can mean it's very difficult to get a place if you're outside the catchment.

[EachPeachPearMum]

Thanks Atzan... but I actually meant how did you physically make the map, ie is there a section in google maps that lets you do that?

[Atzan]

Sorry, EPPM, I didn't get your meaning! Yes, in Google Maps there's a link on the left hand side beneath the Google logo called "My Maps". There are instructions on how to create maps. To save them you'll need a Google account, I think.

[EachPeachPearMum]

Great... thanks!

[Octavia09]

I like the map. Well done. I wonder what about that Spinney School? It takes a handful of children.

[Atzan]

Everything I've heard about The Spinney, as well as its results and reports, says it's an excellent school. Quite a small catchment area but it's all family homes and relatively affordable for Cambridge, certainly compared to the good schools in the more central areas (Milton Road, Parkside, Newnham, St Paul's etc.). A great option, IMO, if you're not desperate to live within walking distance of the town centre.

[Octavia09]

Thanks Atzan. Your comment is very helpful.
I have seen that area. Very nice but what happens if there are more than 30 kids of the same age in that area. The rest will not be able to get a place at the school.

[Octavia09]

I have also seen that some schools have very old Ofsted reports. May be that school is not good anymore or may be it has improved significantly since the last inspection. Strange.

[Slimcognito]

We are just outside the catchment area for Milton Road School by one street, even though we are closer to it than our catchment school.

I have heard bad things about our catchment school (it is the one in Chesterton, I think it is called the the Shirley school). I got MIL (who is a recently retired headmistress) to pore over their results and Ofsted report, and she said she thinks it is a failing school

Also have an aquaintance who removed their children from the Shirley to a different school because they had bad experiences.

We moved here when I was pg - I just didn't "get it" then, but now I wish I had thought ahead and taken the catchment area thing in account when looking for a house in Cambridge. Seems there about 2 or 3 schools you want to avoid and the rest are fine!

[Octavia09]

Oh dear. May be you could move out if you have not bought the house. Cambridge is such a nice city. Pity there are still bad schools in this town.

[Slimcognito]

If we were renting I would move like a shot - but we bought the house and we can't really move for several reasons.

Still, as you mentioned, things do change. He is not due to start for a couple of years anyway so there's time to rethink.