Pathfinder CofE Primary School
Pathfinder Way, Cambridge, CB24 3DS
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- GRACE SCHOOLS
- Headteacher
- Ms Claire Eskelson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Ely
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Grace Schools
- Constituency
- St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 600
- Pupils on roll
- 471
- URN
- 147434
- Local authority
- Cambridgeshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01954584801
About this school
Pathfinder CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Cambridge. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 471 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Pathfinder CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 49 | 44 | 46 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 47% | 68% | 65% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 2% | 5% | 9% |
| Expected standard in reading | 80% | 75% | 72% |
| Expected standard in maths | 63% | 84% | 89% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 73% | 80% | 72% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.80 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -4.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -2.40 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Pathfinder CofE Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Cambridgeshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 47% | 56.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 68% | 55.7% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 65% | 57.4% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.9% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 441 |
| 2023/24 | 452 |
| 2024/25 | 462 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Pathfinder CofE Primary School compares
Pathfinder CofE Primary School ranked 75th of 195 primary schools in Cambridgeshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 65% | 5.4% | 21.7% | 471 | — |
| Hatton Park Primary School | 68% | 4.3% | 10.6% | 380 | 0.4 miles |
| Willingham Primary School | 51% | 4.8% | 25.5% | 364 | 1.7 miles |
| Oakington CofE Primary School | 72% | 4.2% | 27.5% | 98 | 1.9 miles |
| Over Primary School | 21% | 3.6% | 16.8% | 196 | 2.5 miles |
| Swavesey Primary School | 73% | 4.2% | 6.9% | 311 | 2.5 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 21.65%
- English as an additional language
- 24.7%
- Overall absence
- 5.36%
- Persistent absence
- 12.82%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Hatton Park Primary School0.4 miles
Primary · Cambridge
-
Willingham Primary School1.7 miles
Primary · Cambridge
-
Oakington CofE Primary School1.9 miles
Primary · Cambridge
-
Over Primary School2.5 miles
Primary · Cambridge
-
Swavesey Primary School2.5 miles
Primary · Cambridge
Other schools in Cambridge
Pathfinder CofE Primary School ranks 40th of the 76 ranked primary schools in Cambridge.
- Arbury Primary School Primary
- Babraham CofE (VC) Primary School Primary
- Bar Hill Community Primary School Primary
- Barrington CofE VC Primary School Primary
- Barton CofE VA Primary School Primary
- Bewick Bridge Community Primary School Primary
- Bottisham Community Primary School Primary
- Bourn CofE Primary Academy Primary
- Burwell Village College (Primary) Primary
- Caldecote Primary School Primary
- Castle Camps Church of England (Controlled) Primary School Primary
- Cherry Hinton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Pathfinder CofE Primary School teach?
- Pathfinder CofE Primary School teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Cambridge.
- Who is the headteacher of Pathfinder CofE Primary School?
- The headteacher of Pathfinder CofE Primary School is Ms Claire Eskelson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Pathfinder CofE Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Pathfinder CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Pathfinder CofE Primary School?
- Pathfinder CofE Primary School has 471 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Pathfinder CofE Primary School full?
- Pathfinder CofE Primary School has capacity for 600 pupils and 471 on roll (79%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Pathfinder CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Pathfinder CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Ely.
- Does Pathfinder CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Pathfinder CofE Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is Pathfinder CofE Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Pathfinder CofE Primary School is part of GRACE SCHOOLS. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Pathfinder CofE Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 47% in 2022/23 and 65% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Pathfinder CofE Primary School compare with other schools in Cambridgeshire?
- Pathfinder CofE Primary School ranked 75th of 195 primary schools in Cambridgeshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Pathfinder CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- Pathfinder CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Pathfinder CofE Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Pathfinder CofE Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.