Cromwell Community College

Cromwell Community College is performing well with an overall effectiveness rating of 'Good'. The school offers a welcoming and supportive environment where pupils enjoy learning and are motivated to succeed. The curriculum is ambitious and generally well-structured, particularly in early years and sixth form, where pupils excel in their academic pursuits. However, some inconsistencies exist in curriculum delivery across different phases, particularly in the primary phase, where clarity in teaching and engagement can improve.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a warm and welcoming school community.
• Strong relationships between pupils and adults create a calm environment.
• Curriculum designed with ambition for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• High-quality teaching in the sixth form encourages deep thinking and engagement.
• Robust early years provision prepares children well for Year 1.
• Effective careers programme helps pupils make informed choices.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in curriculum delivery across different phases.
• Some teaching does not clearly communicate information.
• Assessment questions are not focused enough to identify pupils' misconceptions.
• Low uptake of extra-curricular activities by pupils, particularly those with SEND.

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 Cromwell Community College attended 91.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.9% 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, 4.6% of pupils at Cromwell Community College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Cromwell Community College had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.2% 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, 24.8% of pupils at Cromwell Community College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.4% 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 Cromwell Community College received £7,815 and spent £7,869 for each of its 1,527 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,820,000 (£1,192 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of The Active Learning Trust Limited, income was £8,366 and spending £8,624 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 Fenland · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Cromwell Community College is part of The Active Learning Trust Limited, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Kingsfield Primary School Chatteris
• Neale-Wade Academy March
• Earith Primary School Huntingdon
• Highfield Ely Academy Ely
• Isle of Ely Primary School Ely
• Highfield Littleport Academy Ely
• Chesterton Primary School Cambridge
• Gusford Community Primary School Ipswich
• Chantry Academy Ipswich
• Hillside Primary School Ipswich

What is Cromwell Community College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cromwell Community College is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

When was Cromwell Community College last inspected by Ofsted?

Cromwell Community College was last inspected in October 2023.

How many pupils does Cromwell Community College have?

Cromwell Community College has 1,539 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cromwell Community College cover?

Cromwell Community College for pupils aged 4 to 18.

What are Cromwell Community College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.0, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Cromwell Community College?

Cromwell Community College is at Wenny Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, PE16 6UU.