Academy converter · Cambridgeshire

Northstowe Learning Community

4–19Ages
920Pupils
All-throughPhase
Sixth formAges 16–18
148128URN

Stirling Road, Northstowe, Cambridge, CB24 1DJ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Mar 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.9per place

0.3 above Cambridgeshire median (1.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Cambridgeshire

331 applications for 179 places · 11th of 34 in Cambridgeshire

Every year since 2019

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

52.8of 90

Cambridgeshire 49.0 England 46.0

14th of 34 in Cambridgeshire

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 21 March 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management	Outstanding

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.9applications per place, Year 7

0.3 above Cambridgeshire median (1.6) 0.4 below England median (2.2)

331 applications · 179 places offered · 171 named it first

2026 1.9; Cambridgeshire median median 1.6
2025 1.8; Cambridgeshire median median 1.7
2024 1.8; Cambridgeshire median median 1.6
2023 2.5; Cambridgeshire median median 1.6
2022 2.3; Cambridgeshire median median 1.5
2021 1.9; Cambridgeshire median median 1.5
2020 2.0; Cambridgeshire median median 1.5; as the previous school
2019 1.7; Cambridgeshire median median 1.6; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Cambridgeshire median in 6 of 6 years.

This school
Cambridgeshire median

Dashed bars: as Northstowe Secondary College (URN 135739), the previous school.

Reception entry, September 2026: 2.7 per place (81 applications for 30 places).

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	179	331	1.9	171	0.96
Sep 2025	166	297	1.8	138	0.83
Sep 2024	154	282	1.8	135	0.88
Sep 2023	116	287	2.5	133	1.15
Sep 2022	118	269	2.3	134	1.14
Sep 2021	119	220	1.9	112	0.94
Sep 2020 *	77	152	2.0	68	0.88
Sep 2019 *	61	104	1.7	45	0.74

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

131 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)52.814th of 34 in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire 49.0 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths60%10th of 34 in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire 51% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths74%

Cambridgeshire 71% England 66%

This school
Cambridgeshire median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)+0.30

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	131	52.8	60%	74%	–
2024/25	114	51.4	55%	70%	–
2023/24	92	51.9	54%	73%	+0.30
2022/23	0				–

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Northstowe Learning CommunityThis school
This school

Good2023

1.9applications per place 52.8Attainment 8
Cottenham Village College
3.9 km · Cambridgeshire

Good2023

1.4applications per place 52.9Attainment 8
Impington Village College
5.0 km · Cambridgeshire

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.5applications per place 61.4Attainment 8
Swavesey Village College
5.3 km · Cambridgeshire

Outstanding2024

1.7applications per place 55.7Attainment 8
North Cambridge Academy
7.4 km · Cambridgeshire

Standards maintained2025

1.2applications per place 48.6Attainment 8
Chesterton Community College
7.9 km · Cambridgeshire

Graded · no overall grade2025

3.6applications per place 65.4Attainment 8
Parkside Community College
9.4 km · Cambridgeshire

Remains Outstanding2023

4.8applications per place 65.9Attainment 8
Coleridge Community College
11.3 km · Cambridgeshire

Standards maintained2024

2.0applications per place 58.7Attainment 8
Comberton Village College
11.4 km · Cambridgeshire

Graded · no overall grade2024

2.2applications per place 56.8Attainment 8

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: All-through
URN · DfE number: 148128 · 873/4028
Trust: Meridian Trust
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 2,830 pupils · 920 on roll
Free school meals: 20.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 1 September 2020
Replaced: Northstowe Secondary College (URN 135739)
Address: Stirling Road, Northstowe, Cambridge, CB24 1DJ
Local authority: Cambridgeshire · South Cambridgeshire

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources