Witchford Village College

Witchford Village College continues to maintain its status as a good school, showing a commitment to high academic expectations and a curriculum that aligns with pupils' interests. The school effectively prepares students for their future by offering comprehensive support and a wide range of extracurricular activities, although some students are yet to fully engage with these opportunities. The inclusive environment for pupils with special educational needs is particularly notable, ensuring they access the same curriculum as their peers. However, there are challenges regarding some pupils' understanding of respectful behavior.

Strengths

• Curriculum designed around pupils' interests
• High academic expectations set for students
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Clear behavior expectations that are consistently enforced
• Broad range of extracurricular opportunities

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils lack understanding of respectful language and behavior towards others

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 Witchford Village College attended 90.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.9% 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, 6.8% of pupils at Witchford 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 Witchford Village College had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.4% 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, 18.2% of pupils at Witchford Village College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.2% 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 Witchford Village College received £8,522 and spent £8,564 for each of its 768 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £99,000 (-£128 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Eastern Learning Alliance, income was £9,220 and spending £9,179 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 Ely · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Witchford Village College is part of Eastern Learning Alliance, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Vista Academy Littleport Ely
• Impington Village College Cambridge
• The Cavendish School Impington
• Girton Glebe Primary School Cambridge
• Chesterton Community College Cambridge
• Cambridge Maths School Cambridge
• Downham Market Academy Downham Market

What is Witchford Village College's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Witchford Village College last inspected by Ofsted?

Witchford Village College was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Witchford Village College have?

Witchford Village College has 804 pupils on roll.

What age range does Witchford Village College cover?

Witchford Village College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Witchford Village College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.3, and 42% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Witchford Village College?

Witchford Village College is at Manor Road, Witchford, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2JA.