Jeavons Wood Primary School Review 2026, Cambourne primary with strong KS2 results and a distinctive Forest School offer

A two-form-entry primary in Cambourne, Jeavons Wood combines a modern, planned-community setting with an outdoors-first strand that runs well beyond the occasional nature walk. The school’s own Forest School area is used across year groups, with structured sessions that range from den building to practical fire pit work (under supervision), giving pupils regular, purposeful time outside.

Results are a clear strength. In 2024, 83% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. Scaled scores in reading and maths both sit at 107. The school’s primary outcomes sit above England average overall, and its FindMySchool ranking places it 2,646th in England and 30th locally (Cambridge area), which equates to being comfortably within the top 25% of primaries in England.

Leadership is currently under Headteacher Mrs Emily McMurray.

Jeavons Wood’s tone is purposeful but child-centred, with routines that aim to keep the day calm at the busy moments. Start times are slightly staggered by phase and the end of day is tightly organised, with named-adult handover for younger pupils and structured expectations around collection. That operational clarity matters in a large primary; it reduces friction and helps pupils feel secure about what happens next.

The early years provision is a key part of the school’s identity. Reception is organised into two classes, Dragonflies and Bumblebees, supported by a team of teaching assistants. There is a strong emphasis on indoor and outdoor learning space, including practical areas such as a mud kitchen and room for wheeled play (including balance bikes). For children who learn best through movement and exploration, that design choice has real day-to-day impact.

A notable feature of Jeavons Wood is the way outdoor learning is woven into the wider curriculum rather than treated as an occasional enrichment day. The Forest School area includes a talking circle and resources that support repeated use across the year. Recent additions mentioned by the school include a permanent fire pit and a mud kitchen, plus materials that make large-scale den building possible. The implication for families is simple: pupils get regular, structured opportunities to build confidence, teamwork, and practical problem-solving, not just extra playtime.

The school is part of The Cam Academy Trust, joining as an academy in July 2017. That matters mostly in governance terms, but parents sometimes feel it in shared professional development, trust-level expectations, and consistency in policy language across schools.

Jeavons Wood’s outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 stand out.

In 2024:

• 83% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 62%.

• 30% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Scaled scores were 107 in reading and 107 in maths (England scaled score benchmarks typically centre on 100, so these indicate performance above the national midpoint).

• The school reported 95% meeting the expected standard in science, compared with an England average of 82%.

The profile is strong across the board, with particularly high proportions reaching expected standards in reading (87%) and GPS (84%), and a substantial group achieving high scores in reading, maths and GPS.

In FindMySchool’s primary rankings (based on official outcomes data), Jeavons Wood is ranked 2,646th in England and 30th locally in the Cambridge area for primary outcomes. That positioning equates to performance above the England average, within the top quarter of primaries nationally.

A nuance worth understanding is that writing “greater depth” is shown as a low figure in the available data. That can happen for several reasons, including cohort profile, how teacher assessment is evidenced, and local interpretation of thresholds. The more stable indicators here are the combined expected standard measure and scaled scores, both of which suggest a broadly strong academic picture.

Parents comparing local primaries may find it useful to use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools to view these results side-by-side with nearby schools across Cambourne and the wider Cambridge area.

Jeavons Wood’s curriculum intent is clearly structured from early years through Year 6, with planning that aims to build knowledge over time. The practical implication is a classroom experience that tries to balance breadth with coherence, pupils revisit key ideas and build fluency rather than hopping between disconnected topics.

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority. The school’s approach includes systematic early reading and phonics, and there is also targeted support for pupils who need extra help to become fluent readers. Where this becomes relevant for parents is that support is not only aimed at the very youngest pupils; older pupils who are less confident readers are also identified for additional input.

In early years, language and communication are emphasised alongside early number, with the stated goal of preparing children well for Year 1. For families deciding between local primaries, this is often the difference between a Reception year that feels like an extended nursery, and one that steadily builds school-ready habits while keeping learning playful.

The wider curriculum includes practical and creative components. Outdoor learning, design and technology, and structured PE sit alongside the core academic programme, which tends to suit pupils who need variety in how they engage with school.

For most families, the transition question is about secondary schooling.

Jeavons Wood identifies Cambourne Village College as its feeder school, with transition activity typically taking place in July through dedicated transition days. Teaching staff from the secondary phase visit Year 6, and there is additional liaison for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, including representation at annual review meetings where relevant.

The implication is that pupils who are likely to move on to Cambourne Village College can expect a planned handover rather than a sudden shift. Families aiming for a different secondary route will usually need to engage directly with the chosen school to understand their transition process.

This is a state primary, so there are no tuition fees, but demand still matters because it shapes how realistic entry is for local families.

Reception admissions are coordinated through Cambridgeshire County Council. For September 2026 entry, applications opened 11 September 2025, the national closing date was 15 January 2026, and offer notifications were issued on 16 April 2026.

Jeavons Wood’s published admissions number (PAN) is 60 for Reception. The school describes its catchment as Upper Cambourne, Great Cambourne and Lower Cambourne, with distance used as a tie-break where required.

Demand indicators point to a competitive but not extreme picture. Recent admissions data shows 98 applications for 59 offers, which is about 1.66 applications per place. For families, the practical message is that living in the catchment and understanding the oversubscription rules matters; it is not a school where every applicant can assume a place.

If you are weighing multiple Cambourne primaries, it is sensible to use FindMySchoolMap Search to understand your distance to the school compared with typical cut-offs, and to cross-check how siblings and catchment criteria might affect your position.

Open events and tours are typically run in the autumn term for families applying for the following September. For September 2026 entry, the school notes that tours had already completed and the first round had closed, which suggests an established annual rhythm rather than ad-hoc open days.

Pastoral work shows up most clearly in the everyday experience: pupils feeling safe, behaviour that is consistent, and staff who are easy for children to approach.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (3–4 November 2021, report published 10 December 2021) confirmed the school continued to be Good and stated that safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Beyond safeguarding, the broader picture is of a school that emphasises respectful relationships, with pupils encouraged to listen to one another and understand differences of opinion. The school’s structure also includes designated safeguarding leads within senior staffing, which reinforces the sense that safeguarding and wellbeing are not delegated to a single person in a single office.

Families of children with additional needs will want to note that inclusion leadership is clearly identified within the senior team, including an Assistant Headteacher role linked to inclusion and SEND coordination.

Extracurricular life at Jeavons Wood is most distinctive where it intersects with the school’s staffing and environment, rather than where it copies a generic club menu.

Forest School is a core example. Sessions are supported by trained staff and framed around personal, social and technical skills. Activities described by the school include den building, survival skills, natural artwork, and supervised use of an open fire for tasks such as popcorn making, alongside wildlife-focused activity supported by bug hotels and nesting boxes. The implication is that pupils get repeated chances to practise teamwork, safe risk-taking, and perseverance, skills that transfer well back into classroom learning.

Music has a clear, practical offer in the form of small-group recorder tuition for pupils in Year 2 to Year 6, taught during the school day. The lessons explicitly include reading musical notation, which gives pupils a foundation for later instrumental learning.

Sport clubs are also present through external provision (Premier Education is referenced by the school as a provider of clubs). Details of which sports run in which term can change, so parents should treat timetables as seasonal rather than fixed year-round.

Student voice is given a formal route through School Council, and leadership opportunities also appear through roles tied to wellbeing and behaviour structures, though the specifics will vary by year group.

The school day begins at 08:45 for Years 1 to 6, and 08:55 for Reception, with end of day collection at 15:05 for Reception and 15:15 for Years 1 to 6.

Wraparound care is a meaningful part of the offer. Breakfast club drop-off starts at 07:45 and runs until pupils are escorted to class at 08:45. After school club offers collection options by 17:00 or 18:00, and the school notes that it can operate with a waiting list. Current pricing is published as £5.50 per day for breakfast club, and £11.00 per day to 17:00 or £15.00 per day to 18:00 for after school club.

On transport, the school sits within a planned residential area of Cambourne, so walking and cycling routes are commonly used by local families, though individual travel choices depend on where you live within the catchment.

• Competition for places. With 98 applications for 59 offers in the latest available admissions data, entry is not automatic, even for local families. The catchment helps, but allocation still depends on the oversubscription rules and the applicant pool in that year.

• Wraparound capacity can be the pinch point. Breakfast and after school provision is in place, but the school has indicated a waiting list at times. Families who rely on wraparound daily should check availability early.

• Reading support is actively managed. The school’s reading programme has been strengthened, but consistency of delivery and the effectiveness of extra support for less fluent older readers are areas that have been highlighted for further improvement. For many families this is reassuring, it signals a clear diagnosis and a practical improvement plan.

Jeavons Wood Primary School is a strong option for families in Cambourne who want above-average academic outcomes alongside regular outdoor learning that is structured and taken seriously. The blend of strong KS2 results, clear routines, and an established Forest School programme will suit pupils who thrive when learning has both intellectual challenge and practical, hands-on variety.

Who it suits: families seeking a local state primary with strong results, wraparound care, and a distinctive outdoors strand. The main limitation is admissions competitiveness, and for some families, wraparound availability can be as important as the school place itself.