The Tydd St Mary Church of England Primary School Review 2026, Small Village School With Top-Tier Outcomes

A small, rural Church of England primary on the Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk border, Tydd St Mary has the scale of a village school but the ambition of a much larger setting. The most recent inspection (3 and 4 October 2023, published 09 November 2023) rated the school Outstanding across all areas, and safeguarding arrangements were judged effective.

Academic outcomes are a standout. In 2024, 90% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, and 39.67% achieved the higher standard, figures well above the England averages of 62% and 8%. This is paired with a culture that gives pupils responsibility early, from pupil leadership roles to structured opportunities to contribute to the wider community.

The practical feel is straightforward and family-oriented: a compact site, a purpose-built Reception unit, and routines shaped for a small roll. School capacity is 105, which influences everything from class structure to admissions competition.

This is a school that sets expectations clearly and then reinforces them through daily language and consistent routines. Its Christian foundation is explicit, but framed in inclusive terms, with values such as Friendship, Thankfulness, Respect, Responsibility and Honesty used as behavioural and cultural anchors. Families who want a Church of England ethos, but without a sense that faith is only for a particular subgroup, are likely to find the tone reassuring.

Pupil voice and responsibility appear to be built in rather than bolted on. Roles mentioned in the most recent inspection include school council, worship leaders, and buddying younger pupils, alongside charity work that links the school to the wider world. The effect is a small setting that still offers pupils multiple ways to contribute and be seen.

The site itself supports that intimate scale. The published prospectus describes a modern building with three classrooms, a hall, a resources room and a purpose-built Reception unit, plus outdoor space adjacent to the village playing field. There is also practical provision for everyday village life, including bicycle parking and use of a rear car park by arrangement.

Outcomes place the school well above England averages, and the detail suggests strength across the core measures rather than a single spike.

A key headline is the combined measure. In 2024, 90% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 39.67% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%, which is an unusually high proportion for any primary.

Scaled scores reinforce that the performance is broad-based. Reading averaged 110, mathematics 109, and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) 110, indicating attainment comfortably above the national midpoint of 100. Science at the expected standard was 94%, alongside 88% at expected in reading and GPS, and 94% in mathematics.

Rankings help parents contextualise the numbers. Ranked 617th in England and 1st in Wisbech for primary outcomes (a proprietary FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits well above England average, within the top 10% of schools in England.

Implication for families: the data supports a high-expectation classroom culture, and children who respond well to clear structure and a strong reading and maths focus are likely to thrive. For some pupils, the higher-standard picture suggests that stretch and challenge are not confined to a small top set but are part of the general approach.

Curriculum intent is described in explicitly values-led terms. The school’s curriculum page frames learning around Wisdom, curiosity, language development, wider vocabulary, and a strong reading culture. In practice, the most recent inspection describes an ambitious curriculum that maps precise knowledge pupils should learn and when, with frequent checking that learning is retained and understood.

Reading is a defining feature. Evidence from the inspection includes practical, child-facing structures that make books visible and accessible, such as “book train lines” in classrooms and a “Hobbit hut” reading space outdoors. These are more than decorative touches; they function as daily prompts that normalise reading for pleasure, not only reading as a task.

Mathematics is described as confident and language-rich, with pupils using technical mathematical language fluently. That aligns with the KS2 profile where mathematics scaled scores are high and the proportion reaching the expected standard is strong.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is framed as inclusive rather than separate. The staff structure includes a named SENDCo and pastoral support, and the local offer document notes referral pathways and SENCo availability across the week. The implication is that support is integrated into classroom life, which matters in a small school where children are highly visible and progress can be monitored closely.

For a village primary, transition choices can be broad, and the school acknowledges this directly. The prospectus indicates that pupils move on to a range of secondary schools and provides links to named local options including University Academy Long Sutton, Spalding High School, Spalding Grammar School, and University Academy Holbeach.

That mix suggests two realistic pathways for families. One is a local comprehensive route, usually shaped by travel time and transport logistics. The other is selective, for families considering grammar entry, especially where Spalding Grammar is on the radar. The school’s strength in core outcomes can support either route, but families should be clear about the practicalities, including daily travel and how a child copes with transition to a larger setting.

It is sensible to ask about transition work, especially for Year 6. In a smaller school, transition tends to be personal and well-coordinated, but the receiving schools vary in size and intake. Families shortlisting the school should look for evidence of structured liaison with destination secondaries and how the school supports pupils who may find the move to a larger environment daunting.

Admissions sit slightly awkwardly across geography and governance. Although the school is physically in Cambridgeshire (Wisbech area), it is under Lincolnshire local authority for admissions purposes, and applications are handled through the Lincolnshire coordinated process.

Demand data indicates competition for places. For the most recent admissions data provided, there were 34 applications for 13 offers, a subscription proportion of 2.62, and first preference demand exceeded first preference offers (1.46). In plain terms, the school is oversubscribed, so families should treat it as a choice that needs a realistic plan B.

Entry into Reception is constrained by the school’s published standard number for a year group, referenced as 15 in the prospectus. When the year group is full, oversubscription criteria apply, starting with looked-after children, then siblings, then distance to the school.

Key dates matter for 2026 entry (September 2026 start). Lincolnshire primary applications open on 17 November 2025 and close on 15 January 2026, with the national offer day on 16 April 2026. Late application windows and revised application timings are also published by the local authority.

Parents comparing options should use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand travel time and practical daily routes, particularly where the nearest secondary options are not within walking distance.

Pastoral support appears to be a central part of how the school operates, not a separate department. The staffing list includes a SENDCo with pastoral support responsibilities and an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA). There is also a named Mental Health First Aider within the staff team. In a small school, these roles can have a high impact because staff know families well and emerging issues are easier to spot early.

Relationships and behaviour are described as consistently respectful, with adults modelling the behaviours expected of pupils. The practical implication is that children who benefit from calm routines and clear boundaries should find the day-to-day environment predictable. Pupils who need additional emotional support can access it without being made to feel separate.

The Church of England character also shapes pastoral tone. The school’s published approach to collective worship emphasises invitational language and choice, which can matter to families who are supportive of a faith ethos but want reassurance that participation is not coercive.

The enrichment offer is unusually structured for a small primary. A distinctive feature referenced in the most recent inspection is a “30 things to do before I leave Tydd St Mary” checklist. This kind of programme matters because it guarantees breadth, not only for pupils whose families can provide extensive experiences outside school.

Clubs are specific and clearly timetabled. The school’s extracurricular page lists clubs such as Mindfulness (Key Stage 2), Computing (Years 3 to 6), Basketball (Years 3 to 6), Curling (Years 3 to 6), Sport stacking (Years 3 to 6), plus age-specific options like Ball skills (Years 1 and 2) and Craft (Early Years). This range gives pupils multiple entry points, sporty, practical, reflective, and creative, without requiring the scale of a large primary to make it viable.

A further advantage of a small roll is that opportunities to take part are often more accessible. In a larger school, some clubs can be capacity-limited or competitive; here, many clubs are run by named staff and appear designed to encourage broad participation. The inspection also references educational trips and cultural activities, including museum and beach visits, which helps widen pupils’ cultural reference points beyond the immediate locality.

Faith-linked enrichment also features. The extracurricular page references Messy Church once per month, and the site calendar includes church-linked activities. For families who value a lived Christian ethos, that provides continuity between worship, values, and communal events.

The school day is published as 08:50 to 15:20, with gates open from 08:40. Breakfast Club runs from 08:00 and is priced at £1.50.

After-school wraparound provision is not presented as an on-site daily club; instead, the school states that it shares information about external organisations offering after-school care and holiday activities. Families who need guaranteed late pickup every day should clarify current arrangements directly, and confirm how handover works at the end of clubs.

For travel and drop-off, the prospectus references use of a rear car park by arrangement and bicycle parking, both helpful in a rural setting where families may approach from multiple directions.

• Small-school dynamics. With capacity around 105 pupils, year groups are relatively small. This suits many children, but it can feel limiting for those who want a very large peer group or lots of parallel friendship circles.

• Oversubscription. Recent demand data indicates more than two applications for every place offered. Families should have a strong second choice and be realistic about chances if applying from further afield.

• Wraparound needs. Breakfast Club is clearly set out, but after-school care appears to rely on signposted external provision rather than an in-house daily club. Working families should verify current options early.

• Faith expectations. The Church of England ethos is woven through values and worship. The approach is described as invitational, but families who prefer a fully secular setting should weigh this carefully.

High outcomes, strong reading and maths culture, and a clearly defined Christian values framework make this a compelling village primary. It suits families who want a small school where children are known well, expectations are explicit, and enrichment is structured rather than optional. Entry remains the main constraint, because demand outstrips places, so shortlisting should be paired with a realistic admissions plan.