Sawston Village College

Sawston Village College is performing well overall, maintaining its status as a good school. The school fosters a welcoming and caring environment, promoting high expectations among both students and staff. Notable aspects of school life include high-quality music and performing arts provision, active pupil leadership, and a strong emphasis on the personal and social development of its students. While pupils generally feel safe and happy, and incidents of bullying are rare, some vulnerable pupils, particularly those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), face challenges with attendance.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupil achievement
• Welcoming and supportive school environment
• Strong music and performing arts program
• Effective pupil leadership and involvement
• Robust curriculum planning and implementation
• High-quality support for students with SEND
• Comprehensive literacy support for weaker readers
• Strong focus on personal development and well-being

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance issues among some vulnerable pupils
• Occasional unclear explanations from teachers

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 Sawston Village College attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.5% 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, 3.8% of pupils at Sawston Village 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 Sawston Village College had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.3% 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, 17.3% of pupils at Sawston Village College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.0% 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 Sawston Village College received £7,994 and spent £8,414 for each of its 1,195 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £227,000 (£190 per pupil).

Across all 22 schools of Anglian Learning, income was £7,678 and spending £7,759 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

Sawston Village College is part of Anglian Learning, which runs 22 schools. The nearest others:

• The Icknield Primary School Cambridge
• Stapleford Community Primary School Cambridge
• The Netherhall School Cambridge
• Linton Village College Cambridge
• Linton Heights Junior School Cambridge
• Marleigh Primary Academy Cambridge
• Meadow Primary School Cambridge
• Fen Ditton Primary School Cambridge
• Bottisham Community Primary School Cambridge
• Bottisham Village College Cambridge

What is Sawston Village College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sawston Village College is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Sawston Village College last inspected by Ofsted?

Sawston Village College was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Sawston Village College have?

Sawston Village College has 1,198 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sawston Village College cover?

Sawston Village College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Sawston Village College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.2, and 60% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Sawston Village College?

Sawston Village College is at New Road, Sawston, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3BP.