SchoolScoresChesterton Community College
Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 18 · Mixed · Sixth form
Part of EASTERN LEARNING ALLIANCE
Gilbert Road, Cambridge, CB4 3NY
01223 712150 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
At the inspection that started on 25 February 2025, Ofsted graded each area separately. It stopped giving an overall grade in September 2024.
This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Sixth form | Outstanding |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
186 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025.
Cambridge comparisons use the 13 of its 20 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 7 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.
| Statement | This school | Cambridge | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school Joint 3rd highest of 13 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Cambridge. Higher than 79% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 91% | 82% | 89% |
| My child feels safe at this school 3rd highest of 13 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Cambridge. Higher than 80% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 93% | 85% | 90% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 3rd highest of 13 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Cambridge. Higher than 75% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 88% | 75% | 84% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 62 parents whose child had been bullied Joint 7th highest of 13 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Cambridge. Higher than 45% of 1,665 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 48% | 47% | 51% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 134 parents who had raised a concern Joint 5th highest of 13 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Cambridge. Higher than 70% of 1,736 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 78% | 70% | 76% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 52 parents of children with SEND 3rd highest of 6 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Cambridge. Higher than 49% of 789 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 62% | 62% | 68% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent Joint 3rd highest of 13 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in Cambridge. Higher than 80% of 1,763 state secondary schools with comparable Parent View results in England. | 90%said yes | 79% | 84% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 16%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Cambridge figures pool parents at the Cambridge schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25
190 pupils in this year group.
84% — 34 points above the Cambridgeshire average, and 38 points above the England average.
| Measure | This school | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 84% | 50% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. | 68 | 48.1 | 46.1 |
| EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. | 6.3 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.
Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
After Year 11
Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.
198 pupils in this year group.
92% — about the same as the Cambridgeshire average, and about the same as the England average.
| Measure | This school | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. | 92% | 93% | 92% |
| School sixth form | 12% | 24% | 34% |
| Sixth form college | 66% | 32% | 13% |
| Further education college | 13% | 29% | 37% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| Work | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time
| 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| 96% | 92% |
Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.
A levels (16 to 18), 2024/25
47 A level students in this year group.
| Measure | This school | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average A level grade | B | B- | B- |
| A level exams graded A* or A | 35% | 32% | 26% |
| A level exams graded A* to B | 71% | 60% | 53% |
| Average points per A level entryAn A* is 60 points, an A is 50, a B is 40, and so on down to 10 for an E. | 40.5 | 37.4 | 35 |
A level subjects, 2024/25
26 subjects, 144 exams. England figures are for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Subject | Exams | A* | A* or A | England A* or A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 28 | 7% | 25% | 40% |
| Physics | 11 | 9% | 27% | 31% |
| Economics | 10 | 0% | 20% | 26% |
| Computer Studies / Computing | 9 | 0% | 44% | 24% |
| History | 9 | 11% | 33% | 23% |
| Chemistry | 7 | 0% | 57% | 30% |
| Geography | 7 | 0% | 14% | 23% |
| Law | 7 | 0% | 14% | 17% |
| Psychology | 7 | 14% | 29% | 19% |
| Biology | 6 | 17% | 50% | 27% |
Also taken, with too few exams for DfE to publish grades: Art and Design (Fine Art), Government and Politics, Mathematics (Further), Classical Civilisation, English Literature, Environmental Science, German, Ancient History, Film Studies, French, Religious Studies, Sociology, Spanish, Art and Design (Photography), English Language, Latin.
Source: DfE 16 to 18 qualification and subject data, 2024/25.
Source: DfE 16 to 18 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Cambridgeshire. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
How hard is it to get in?
For the September 2026 intake there were about 1.5 first-choice applications for every place.
| Places offered | 174 |
|---|---|
| Families who put it first | 293 |
| Of those, offered a place | 172 (59%) |
| Families who listed it at all | 633 |
First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.8 · 2025: 1.7 · 2026: 1.7
This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Cambridgeshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 10th highest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Higher than 23% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 17.5% | 23.3%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan 16th highest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Higher than 45% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 2.8% | 4.3%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support 13th highest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Higher than 16% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 8.9% | 11.1%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language 9th highest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Higher than 69% of 3,448 state secondary schools in England. | 21.3% | 14.3%* | 19.2% |
| Overall absence (sessions missed) 1st lowest of 17 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Lower than 91% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 5.5% | 8.3%* | 8.4% |
| Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 1st lowest of 17 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Lower than 95% of 3,411 state secondary schools in England. | 10.2% | 20.7%* | 23.4% |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils 11th lowest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Lower than 73% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 7.5 | 13.6 | 21.2 |
| Pupils suspended at least once 9th lowest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Lower than 75% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 3.9% | 5.4% | 7.3% |
| Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils | 0.00% | 0.06% | 0.23% |
| Pupils per teacher 17th highest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Higher than 8% of 3,442 state secondary schools in England. | 14.1 | 16.9 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 9th highest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Higher than 66% of 3,445 state secondary schools in England. | 12.5 | 11.8 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year 13th highest of 18 state secondary schools in Cambridge. Higher than 54% of 3,430 state secondary schools in England. | 14.0% | 16.5%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby secondary schools
- Cambridge Arts and Sciences (CATS and CSVPA) 0.7 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 38% A*/A at A level
- North Cambridge Academy 0.7 miles · Ofsted: Good (2015), confirmed 2025 · 35% grade 5+ English and maths
- St John's College School 0.8 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI
- Parkside Community College 1.0 miles · Ofsted: Outstanding (2017), confirmed 2023 · 78% grade 5+ English and maths
- King's College School 1.1 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI
- Cardiff Sixth Form College, Cambridge 1.2 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 78% A*/A at A level
- Sancton Wood School 1.4 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI
- The Leys School 1.4 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 63% A*/A at A level
- The Stephen Perse Foundation 1.4 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI · 55% A*/A at A level
- Heritage School 1.4 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Chesterton Community College's Ofsted rating?
At its inspection in 25 February 2025, Ofsted graded each area separately; it stopped giving an overall grade in September 2024.
How did Chesterton Community College do in its GCSEs?
In 2024/25, 84% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 38 points above the England average of 45%.
Would parents recommend Chesterton Community College?
90% of the 186 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025 said they would recommend Chesterton Community College to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Is Chesterton Community College oversubscribed?
For the September 2026 intake, 293 families put Chesterton Community College as their first choice for 174 places: about 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. 172 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 136887.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 3 September 2024 to 1 September 2025.
- Results: DfE school performance tables, GCSEs 2024/25, After Year 11 2024/25, A levels 2024/25.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.