Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25, Ely
Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 is a special school for pupils aged 19 to 25 in Ely. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 are Highfield Ely Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good); Highfield Littleport Academy (4.4 miles, Good); and The Harbour School (4.7 miles, Requires improvement).
Highfield Ely AcademyHighfield Littleport AcademyThe Harbour School
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ely Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northwold (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 148 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to be a learner with this provider?
Learners benefit greatly from staff who know them extremely well. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of each learner's behavioural traits and the triggers for disruptive behaviour. Staff act upon the nuances of learners' non-verbal communication to skilfully redirect learners' interest, enabling them to develop effective strategies to remain focused on their learning. As a result, learners maintain good behaviour in lessons. Staff ensure that learners remain calm, continue in lessons and work effectively in groups. Furthermore, a few learners have notably reduced the extent of their self-harm behaviours because of the strategies they have been taught.
Learners benefit greatly from a good range of therapeutic support and specialist facilities. Learners have timetabled weekly use of the on-site gym, hydrotherapy pool and trampoline for rebound therapy. Specialist therapists work with staff to support learners' physical health development and well-being. Learners have set targets that staff work to in lessons for improving learners' health and care. Teachers ensure that learners spend targeted lesson time in their standing frames to improve their physical health and stamina. Teachers encourage learners to gradually build their tolerance to wearing their glasses in lessons.
What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders have created a culture of reflection and continuous improvement among managers and staff. Leaders responded swiftly to the findings of the monitoring visit to make the improvements required. Leaders and managers have developed a purposeful and effective curriculum for learners. Leaders ensure that the curriculum incorporates extensive repetition of topics to meet their learners' development needs.
Leaders have provided accessible and high-quality accommodation, such as a hydrotherapy pool and spacious classrooms fitted with hoists. Leaders have designed the therapeutic aspects of learning, including physiotherapy, exceptionally well. As a result, many learners increase their physical stamina to take part in lessons and other enrichment activities.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Keep up with Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 is in Cambridgeshire; for families living there:
- Cambridgeshire's school travel policy: School Travel Assistance Policy - Mainstream September 2025 326KB - pdf
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Ely
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ely
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
7,228
Applications
6,755
Got 1st preference
88.3%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Special educational needs provision
Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25
What is Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25's Ofsted rating?
Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25?
No fixed boundary. When Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 is oversubscribed, Cambridgeshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 have specialist SEN provision?
Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25?
Apply through Cambridgeshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25?
Active Learning Trust Linc 19 - 25 is at Downham Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 1BD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)