St. Paul's Primary Vs. Milton Road Primary

[JanLady]

Hi,
We were offered a space mid year in both. Any experiences to share about those two schools from people whose children attend/attended recently?
Thanks!

My children are at St Pauls and happy but equally I have friends with children at Milton Road who are happy. Which would be easier for you?! St Pauls only has one class per year and Milton Road has 2 but both come with some positives and negatives. Do you need to think about secondary transfer as they feed into different secondaries? St Pauls is likely to be more Christian in tone as a VA school with strong church links (for example this Friday morning they have a church assembly at St Pauls church on Hills Rd and these happen about twice a term). You might find it helpful to have a look at the parent view section of the Ofsted website for both schools.

I have had one go right through Milton Road and another still there although at upper end of the school. It's had a tough time in the past but is very definitely improving fast. New head is great. Parent body very supportive, very sociable. Last year's KS 2 results (if such things matter to you) were brilliant. What year group would your DC be in? As GrouchingTigger says, you won't get as much religious stuff at Milton Road, so it depends what's right for your family. To be honest they're both probably fine so I'd go for whichever is nearest to where you're living.

Thanks so much, both. My DD is going into year 3. St. Paul is much closer to the place we rented for our sabbatic and it sounds like both of your are happy. Milton Road would mean 2 hours for me either walking or on a bus a day. We're not religious or christian, so it will probably be a learning experience for our family.

Oh I'd go for St Paul's then. Your DD will appreciate having local school friends for playdates etc, and in any case Cambridge is very international so there will be children of all faiths and none at the school. Central Cambridge is pretty easy to negotiate actually (just not in a car!), so if you want to be mobile I would strongly suggest getting some second hand bikes for the year so that you can get about easily.

Definitely St Paul's then if it is near where you will be living. Local friends will make life much easier.

Thanks, all!