Foxton Primary School, Cambridge Review 2026: Small-village primary with strong KS2 outcomes

A small primary serving Foxton, this is a school where routines are clear and expectations are calm. The day runs on village-scale practicality, with a straightforward timetable (start at 8.55am, finish at 3.15pm) and a wraparound offer that extends the working day when needed.

Academically, the most recent published KS2 picture is strong: in 2024, 82% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%.

For families weighing up fit, the headline is simple: a close-knit setting with above-average outcomes, plus competition for places at Reception in some years.

This is a school that signals “orderly and friendly” through practical details. Morning entry begins with the gate opening at 8.45am, a bell at 8.55am, and a clear expectation that children come into school independently once the day starts. Those small systems matter in a primary, they set the tone for punctuality and confidence.

The values framework is also unusually explicit. The current set, finalised in April 2024 after discussion with pupils, staff, governors, parents and the local community, is short and memorable: Be kind, Be respectful, Be the best you can be. That clarity tends to work well for younger pupils because it is easy to apply in real situations, from playground disagreements to classroom routines.

Leadership looks settled. Mrs Janet Muir is named as headteacher, and the most recent inspection documentation records that she was appointed in January 2022. For parents, a post-2022 leadership appointment usually matters because it frames how much weight to place on recent improvement work and current priorities.

A final contextual note: school literature indicates the school opened in 1883 and later moved to its current site in 2002. Even if the buildings are relatively modern, that sense of continuity can be important in a village setting where schools often act as long-running community institutions.

Foxton’s 2024 KS2 outcomes are the key data point for parents comparing local primaries. In reading, writing and maths combined, 82% met the expected standard, compared with an England average of 62%.

The scaled scores reinforce the same story. Reading is 109, maths is 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 107. In a small school, a single cohort can move figures around year to year, but the overall profile suggests pupils leave Year 6 with secure basics, particularly in reading.

Where the school is especially interesting is the “higher standard” lens. In 2024, 30.67% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined. The England comparator is 8%. Put simply, there is evidence of stretch, not only threshold competence.

In FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 2,533rd in England and 26th in the Cambridge local area. That sits above the England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England. Parents comparing nearby options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools to view these outcomes alongside neighbouring primaries with similar intakes.

The inspection evidence points to a curriculum that is planned and consistently delivered, with pupils building secure knowledge over time. The most useful way to think about this, as a parent, is whether learning feels cumulative (children remember and reuse what they learned last term) rather than episodic (lots of isolated topics). The published curriculum structure, with discrete subject areas and named leadership responsibilities, suggests the school has made a deliberate effort to avoid the “small school generalist” problem where everything depends on one or two individuals.

There are also hints of a school that uses local opportunities well. Competitive sport references are not generic, they include specific events and venues, which usually implies staff are willing to organise beyond-the-village experiences and take pupils out into broader settings. That matters for confidence and aspiration, especially in smaller cohorts.

For families of high-attaining children, the most relevant academic signal is the proportion hitting the higher standard combined measure (30.67% in 2024). In practice, that usually correlates with classrooms where questioning is sharper, tasks have extension built in, and reading is treated as a core habit, not a single subject block.

As a village primary, the most common question is which secondary school sits naturally in the local pattern. Foxton is within the catchment area for Melbourn Village College, and the college also lists Foxton Primary as one of its local partner primaries.

For parents, the practical implication is that Year 6 transition work is likely to align with the systems and expectations of that receiving school, and peer groups often move together. That said, Cambridgeshire families also make choices across a wider area, including faith schools, academies, or selective routes where relevant, so it is worth treating “typical destination” as a pattern rather than a guarantee.

If you are planning ahead, the best next step is to look at the secondary catchment mapping and then sense-check distance, transport, and admissions criteria for your preferred options.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Cambridgeshire County Council rather than directly by the school. The school explains that applications typically run from mid-November to mid-January, with outcomes released in mid-April.

For September 2026 entry specifically, the Cambridgeshire primary admissions booklet sets out the key dates clearly: applications open from 11 September 2025; the national closing date is 15 January 2026; offers are made on 16 April 2026; and online acceptances run until 30 April 2026.

Demand signals from the most recent recorded Reception admissions show why timing matters. The school is flagged as oversubscribed, with 26 applications for 10 offers, which is about 2.6 applications per place. The practical implication is that families should not assume a place is automatic, even in a small village school.

Open mornings are advertised on the school’s channels, and recent materials show these have often been run in the autumn term for the following year’s Reception intake. Dates shift annually, so treat the pattern (autumn term) as the reliable part, and check the school’s latest updates for current listings.

The school’s pastoral picture is best understood through behaviour culture and adult responsiveness. The inspection report describes a calm, orderly environment with positive behaviour and a low incidence of bullying, alongside systems that deal with unkindness quickly.

There is also evidence of pupil responsibility in practice, for example buddy-style roles for older pupils supporting younger ones. In a primary, those structures do two things at once: they make younger children feel safe, and they give older pupils a tangible way to practise leadership that is not purely academic.

Safeguarding and wellbeing information is signposted clearly through the school’s published structure, and families should expect the usual primary-school approach: designated safeguarding leads, age-appropriate online safety teaching, and clear expectations around supervision at drop-off and pick-up.

For a small primary, the most convincing extracurricular evidence is specificity. Here, the school references organised sport beyond day-to-day PE, including a Quicksticks hockey tournament hosted at Cambourne Village College, and a Year 5 and Year 6 cross-country event at Wimpole Hall. These are meaningful examples because they require transport, staff time, and coordination, and they give pupils experience of performing outside their normal setting.

Wraparound also plays a role in “life beyond lessons”, not only childcare. The after-school provision is delivered by JS Sports & Education, with two sessions (3.15pm to 5.00pm at £8.00 per session, or 3.15pm to 6.00pm at £12 per session). If your child thrives on active play after a structured school day, this is a practical advantage, especially for working families.

Early-morning provision is slightly nuanced. The school’s Breakfast Club page notes that breakfast club provision has been suspended, while also describing an Early Morning Club running from 7.30am to 8.45am with breakfast followed by sports activities such as dodgeball, tennis, hockey and archery across the week. Parents should check the current term’s arrangements, but the key point is that the school has used sport-based morning structure as part of its wraparound approach.

Community events also appear embedded in the annual rhythm, including a summer fete and a Sports Day typically held in July. These tend to matter in village schools because they strengthen parent networks, which in turn supports informal transition and pastoral resilience for pupils.

The school day runs 8.55am to 3.15pm, with a morning break and a lunch break, plus a short afternoon break for younger classes.

Wraparound care is available on weekdays via an external provider, extending to 6.00pm. Costs and session times are published, which makes planning easier.

For travel, Foxton has a rail station in the village, and local bus service 26 runs between Royston and Cambridge via Foxton, which can help families commuting or coordinating pick-ups with public transport.

• Small-school dynamics. With a published capacity of 119, year groups can feel close-knit, which suits many children. It can also mean fewer friendship “lanes” if your child is socially cautious or needs a bigger peer group.

• Oversubscription risk. Recent Reception demand data indicates more applicants than places (around 2.6 applications per offer). Families should be realistic about admission chances and always name alternative preferences.

• Wraparound is provider-led. After-school care is delivered by an external organisation. That can be positive, but parents who prefer all provision to be run directly by school staff may want to ask how handover, safeguarding, and behaviour expectations are aligned.

• Secondary transition planning. The local pattern points towards Melbourn Village College. Families considering other secondary routes should start exploring options early, particularly if transport logistics matter.

Foxton Primary School combines a clear behavioural culture with academically strong KS2 outcomes, including a notably high proportion reaching the higher standard in 2024. It will suit families who want a smaller primary where routines are consistent, expectations are explicit, and children can take on responsibility as they grow. The main challenge is admission in oversubscribed years, so shortlisting works best when you plan alternative preferences alongside it.