Ernulf Academy

Ernulf Academy is a mixed secondary academy within the Astrea Academy Trust. Since its previous inspection, when it was judged to require improvement, the school has made significant progress. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management are now all good, although no overall effectiveness grade is awarded under the current inspection framework. Leaders, governors and trustees have worked collaboratively through leadership changes, including a new principal and vice-principals, and have redesigned the curriculum so that it is ambitious, well sequenced and better builds on pupils' prior learning. Pupils are generally safe, happy and well looked after, and most behave well in lessons, where disruption is rare. The curriculum is delivered by well-trained staff, pupils with SEND are identified and supported effectively, and reading and enrichment are strong. Pupils benefit from a wide range of electives, trips and careers activity, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. However, recent improvements are not yet reflected in published examination results because older pupils did not benefit fully from the changes. Key areas for improvement remain. Teachers do not consistently give precise guidance on how pupils can improve, which limits depth and fluency for some. A minority of pupils, especially older pupils, still fail to meet the school's high behaviour expectations, including pushing in corridors and derogatory language. Communication with parents is also a significant weakness: many parents feel concerns are not acknowledged or resolved promptly, reducing confidence and engagement.

Strengths

• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that builds on prior learning
• Teachers receive precise training and explain topics clearly
• Pupils are safe, happy and well looked after
• Most pupils behave well in lessons and disruption is rare
• Strong SEND identification and effective support, including targeted help
• Effective reading strategy with daily Astrea Reads and extra support
• Wide range of enrichment and elective activities
• Good personal development through trips and careers awareness
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Collaborative leadership, governance and trust have driven significant improvement

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not consistently provide precise improvement guidance, limiting depth and fluency
• Some pupils, especially older pupils, do not meet high behaviour expectations
• Derogatory language and pushing in corridors upset pupils
• Parent communication is weak; concerns are not always acknowledged or dealt with promptly

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 Ernulf Academy attended 89.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.0% 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, 15.6% of pupils at Ernulf Academy 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 Ernulf Academy had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 30.2% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Ernulf Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% 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 Ernulf Academy received £8,220 and spent £8,943 for each of its 743 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £260,000 (£350 per pupil).

Across all 26 schools of Astrea Academy Trust, income was £8,290 and spending £8,206 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 Huntingdonshire · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Ernulf Academy is part of Astrea Academy Trust, which runs 26 schools. The nearest others:

• Longsands Academy St Neots
• St Ivo Academy St Ives
• Cottenham Village College Cambridge
• The Centre School Cambridge
• Lower Meadow Primary School Sheffield
• Astrea Academy Sheffield Sheffield
• Byron Wood Primary Academy Sheffield
• Astrea Academy Woodfields Doncaster
• Waverley Academy Doncaster
• Castle Academy Doncaster

What is Ernulf Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ernulf Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Ernulf Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Ernulf Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Ernulf Academy have?

Ernulf Academy has 720 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ernulf Academy cover?

Ernulf Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Ernulf Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.4, and 39% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ernulf Academy?

Ernulf Academy is at Barford Road, St. Neots, PE19 2SH.