Ely College

Ely College has shown significant improvement since its last inspection and is now on track for a graded inspection in the near future. The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Strong relationships between staff and students create a positive atmosphere for learning, where students feel safe and supported. There is a rich variety of extracurricular activities that enhance students' personal development and cultural awareness, contributing to high levels of engagement and achievement among pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending the inclusive school and feel safe.
• The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum that engages all pupils.
• High expectations from staff contribute to exceptional student achievement.
• Strong culture of reading and effective support for struggling readers.
• Excellent subject knowledge and training ensure effective teaching.
• Well-considered curriculum for students with SEND that meets their individual needs.
• High-quality careers advice and guidance for students transitioning to the next steps.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance expectations in the sixth form are not as high as in the rest of the school.

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 Ely College attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.2% 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, 5.8% of pupils at Ely 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 Ely College had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 8.4% of pupils at Ely College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.3% 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 Ely College received £7,155 and spent £7,076 for each of its 1,651 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £692,000 (£419 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Meridian Trust, income was £7,921 and spending £7,857 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

Ely College is part of Meridian Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Lantern Community Primary School Ely
• Downham Feoffees Primary Academy Ely
• The Harbour School Ely
• Somersham Primary School Somersham
• The Martin Bacon Academy Northstowe
• Northstowe Learning Community Cambridge
• Histon and Impington Park Primary School Cambridge
• Histon and Impington Brook Primary School Cambridge
• Hatton Park Primary School Cambridge
• Swavesey Village College Cambridge

What is Ely College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ely College is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Ely College last inspected by Ofsted?

Ely College was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Ely College have?

Ely College has 1,635 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ely College cover?

Ely College for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Ely College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 53.7, and 58% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ely College?

Ely College is at Downham Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 2SH.