Parkside Community College

Parkside Community College continues to demonstrate outstanding performance in education, being recognized for its high expectations of both behavior and learning. The school fosters a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and valued, with effective teachers who engage students in their personal and academic growth. Exceptional provisions are made for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring that all students achieve to their potential. Enrichment activities enhance pupils' cultural knowledge and character development, contributing to well-rounded individuals who actively participate in their community.

Strengths

• Exceptional ambition and breadth of the curriculum.
• High achievement rates in national examinations, particularly in EBacc subjects.
• Strong provision and support for pupils with SEND.
• Highly inclusive and diverse school ethos.
• Effective leadership with a focus on professional development for teachers.
• Pupils exhibit exemplary behavior and engagement in learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Parkside Community College attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 14.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.0% of pupils at Parkside Community College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Parkside Community College had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 19.6% of pupils at Parkside Community College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Parkside Community College received £8,313 and spent £8,231 for each of its 694 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £620,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cambridge · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Parkside Community College is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Coleridge Community College Cambridge
• The Galfrid School Cambridge
• Trumpington Community College Cambridge
• Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology Cambridge
• Grange Primary Academy Kettering
• Kettering Buccleuch Academy Kettering
• Longshaw Primary Academy London
• Northampton Academy Northampton
• The Totteridge Academy London
• Salisbury Manor Primary School London

What is Parkside Community College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Parkside Community College is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Parkside Community College last inspected by Ofsted?

Parkside Community College was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Parkside Community College have?

Parkside Community College has 667 pupils on roll.

What age range does Parkside Community College cover?

Parkside Community College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Parkside Community College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 65.9, and 82% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Parkside Community College?

Parkside Community College is at Parkside, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 1EH.