Fawcett Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 March 2026

Pupils are happy and enthusiastic about their learning. They behave well and most attend regularly. Pupils state that bullying is rare and that if it does happen staff will sort it quickly and fairly. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils particularly enjoy their playtimes. The school is fortunate to have an extensive site. Leaders have created many different areas for pupils to play imaginatively and develop their cooperation skills. There are opportunities for den building, dance, craft, painting and much more. Pupils confidently risk assess their creations and know the different rules to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils were really excited to show off old pottery they had recently excavated, but ensured that they left the area safe for others afterwards. The school has created consistent and effective systems to help pupils access their learning, even when they find it hard. There has been a recent high focus on how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and also those who may be disadvantaged. Currently, pupils with SEND are achieving better than previously. However, this is not yet established over time. Many pupils typically leave the school achieving in line with the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are proud of their school and its sense of community. They enjoy coming together, for example for singing assemblies. The curriculum is broad and regularly enriched by visits to the local area and nearby Cambridge. Pupils develop their confidence, for example using the public bus services to get to school visits. Pupils have a positive understanding of diversity and difference. They are welcoming to new members of their school, who often come from overseas. As a result of this work, pupils are being prepared well for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that they reduce barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils so that their achievement is in line or higher than their peers nationally.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers are skilled in choosing appropriate activities for pupils in the wider curriculum so that more pupils are challenged to achieve highly.
• Leaders should ensure that early years staff are supported to be confident and skilled in having valuable, high-quality interactions with children, both in play times and between learning, so that children consistently improve their speech, language and vocabulary.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)