St Alban's Catholic Primary School, Cambridge Review 2026: High-performing one-form entry with a clear Catholic identity

In the centre of Cambridge, this is a one-form entry Catholic primary where faith is woven into daily life and academic standards are consistently high. The school sits within the grounds of the Catholic Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, which shapes everything from worship and liturgy to how pupils understand service and community.

Outcomes at the end of Year 6 are a major strength. In 2024, 90% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. High attainment is also common, with 42.67% achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with 8% across England.

Admission is competitive. In the most recent admissions cycle captured there were 88 applications for 30 offers, which is just under 3 applications per place.

This is a school that communicates its identity plainly. The mission statement, Believe, Achieve and Succeed, is used as a working reference point rather than a slogan, and the school describes its role as serving Catholic families south of the River Cam while drawing families from across the city.

The physical set-up suits a compact, city-centre primary. The main building dates from the 1930s and has been expanded over time, including an infants’ block added in the 1980s and a kitchen and dining area completed in 1998. Outdoor space is organised into infant and junior play areas, with the junior area including a climbing wall and space for ball games.

Leadership is structured in a way many parents will recognise from multi-academy trusts, with an executive headteacher and a head of school. The head of school is Mr C Wright, and the executive headteacher is Mrs Jenny McGhee Wallace.

A practical point that matters day-to-day is that supervision is tightly defined around the school day. The school notes that children are not supervised by staff before 08:50, and families need to plan drop-off accordingly.

Results at the end of Key Stage 2 are a standout feature, with both high attainment and consistently strong scaled scores.

In 2024:

• 90% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with 62% across England.

• 42.67% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with 8% across England.

• Average scaled scores were 109 in reading and 110 in maths, alongside 112 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Rankings also reinforce the picture. Based on official outcomes data, the school is ranked 382nd in England for primary performance (FindMySchool ranking), and 4th locally in Cambridge. That places it well above the England average, within the top 10% of primaries in England, and in practice around the top 3% by rank.

What those figures mean in real terms is that pupils here are not merely meeting the expected bar, a large minority are pushing into greater depth, and the overall attainment profile suggests a consistently high prior-to-secondary readiness.

Parents comparing several Cambridge options can use the local FindMySchool hub and the Comparison Tool to view these outcomes side-by-side, particularly useful when schools have different admissions criteria or community intakes.

The curriculum is described as deliberately knowledge-rich, with attention to key vocabulary and sequencing, and it is supported by a structure that prioritises early reading and mathematics.

For families, the most useful way to interpret the school’s approach is through its consistency. Strong scaled scores across reading, maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling usually correlate with clear routines for practice, frequent checking for understanding, and intervention that is quick rather than delayed until Year 6.

Faith also influences teaching and learning, not as a separate bolt-on, but as part of how pupils talk about responsibility, kindness and community. The school’s links with the parish network around Our Lady and the English Martyrs is an example of this integration, since pupils’ wider experiences include connections to church life and parish events.

As a primary, the key transition is into Year 7. The school builds transition content into Year 6, including planned transition activities as part of curriculum mapping.

Because secondary transfer depends on family preference, faith priorities, and Cambridge admissions patterns, it is more accurate to think of this school as preparing pupils strongly for a range of secondary settings rather than funneling them into a single destination. The academic profile suggests pupils will be well placed for demanding secondary curricula, while the Catholic ethos and service culture will appeal to families who want that continuity through adolescence.

If you are shortlisting primaries with secondary transfer in mind, it is worth pairing this review with an admissions check for your preferred Year 7 options, since Cambridge secondary admissions can be competitive and criteria vary.

Demand is high. In the most recent dataset year, there were 88 applications for 30 offers, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed, at approximately 2.93 applications per place.

Admissions criteria are explicit about Catholic priority. The published criteria place baptised Catholic looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then baptised Catholic children with siblings, then baptised Catholic children resident south of the River Cam, followed by other baptised Catholic children. Subsequent categories include other looked-after and previously looked-after children, catechumens and members of Eastern Christian churches, then other Christian denominations, other faiths, and finally any other children.

Supporting documents matter. The admissions information states that applications in the top Catholic priority groups must be supported by a baptism certificate, and that families are expected to complete a supplementary information form alongside the local authority application route.

For Reception entry in Cambridgeshire for September 2026, the local authority application deadline is 15 January 2026, with applications opening from 11 September 2025, and the national offer date listed as 16 April 2026.

There is also a practical Cambridge detail worth noting: the local authority states that this school does not operate a geographical catchment area for admissions, so admission is not a simple distance-based story. Faith evidence and oversubscription categories will typically do more work than postcode alone.

Parents should use the FindMySchoolMap Search alongside the admissions policy, particularly if you are trying to understand how your family’s circumstances fit the published oversubscription categories.

Pastoral life is closely tied to leadership roles and responsibility. Pupils take on roles such as chaplains, tour guides and reading buddies, which points to a culture that expects older pupils to contribute to the life of the school, not just benefit from it.

Safeguarding is handled as a visible, front-of-house priority, with a named safeguarding team and a clear invitation to parents to raise concerns early.

The wellbeing offer also connects to routine: clear start and finish expectations, clear supervision boundaries, and structured clubs and wraparound care for families who need it.

A small primary can either feel limited after 15:15, or it can feel organised and purposeful. Here, the clubs programme is unusually specific for a one-form entry.

Examples from the published programme include:

• School Choir for Year 3 to Year 6

• Orchestra for Year 3 to Year 6

• Chess Club for Key Stage 2

• Year 6 netball, plus football provision across different year bands

• Irish Dancing, Italian Club and French club options through external providers

The implication for families is straightforward. Pupils who enjoy structured enrichment can build a weekly rhythm that includes sport, music and language, and families who need care beyond 15:15 have multiple options rather than a single bottleneck.

Sports facilities reflect the central location. The school notes it does not have its own playing field, using Parker’s Piece for field sports and Parkside Swimming Pool for swimming lessons, described as a short walk away.

Trips and wider learning also feature in the school’s wider offer, including educational visits, and residential experiences intended to build independence.

The teaching day is clearly set out. The bell rings at 08:55, with registration at 09:00, and the school day ends at 15:15.

Wraparound care is available through City Kids, with breakfast club running from 07:30 to 09:00 and after-school club from 15:15 to 18:00 during term time.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the normal extras that often apply in primary settings, such as uniform, trips and optional clubs.

• Faith-first oversubscription. Priority is clearly structured around Catholic evidence and related categories. Families seeking a place without Catholic documentation should read the criteria carefully and plan multiple realistic choices.

• Competition for places. With 88 applications for 30 offers year, admission is the hurdle. Make sure your preference list includes options you would genuinely accept.

• City-centre facilities trade-offs. Outdoor space and sport are thoughtfully handled, but there is no on-site playing field, and some sport uses local Cambridge spaces instead.

• Tight supervision boundaries. Before-school supervision does not start until shortly before the bell, so drop-off routines need to be practical and punctual.

For families who want a Catholic primary in central Cambridge with very strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, this is a compelling option. Results are well above England averages, and the structure around leadership, responsibility and enrichment suggests pupils are well prepared for the next stage.

It suits families who value a clear Catholic identity, can engage with the supplementary admissions process, and want a school where attainment and character education sit comfortably together. The main challenge is getting a place.