Ely College, Ely

In its own words: "Our shared vision is to be a truly great college, a beacon of excellence of which our whole community can be proud. In July 2016 Ely College joined the Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) which has since grown, reaching across the region and was rebranded as Meridian Trust in 2022."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, hockey, knitting and Duke of Edinburgh.

Coming up: an open evening on Saturday 16 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Ely College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 53.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.3 in Cambridgeshire and 47 across England.

58% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 52% in Cambridgeshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 49.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.65: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 36.8, against 56.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 19.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

For September 2026 entry, 304 families put Ely College as their first choice and 417 named it as one of their preferences, for 261 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 53 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Ely College are Witchford Village College (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.3); and Vista Academy Littleport (4.2 miles, Attainment 8 40.3).

Ely College's 2026 results were higher than all 2 of them.

Ely College is one of 36 schools run by Meridian Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.9 in 2024/25.

293 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ely College (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 79% say their child is happy there and 51% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (80%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (51%).

Of the 248 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 24% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 110 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 31% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 42% into work. 1% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

16.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 138 pupils (8.4%) received SEN support and 70 (4.3%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Ely Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Community College (entrance), 90 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ely College 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 136 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.

In 2024/25, Ely College issued 181 suspensions, 11 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Ely College are Lantern Community Primary School (0.1 miles), Isle of Ely Primary School (0.4 miles), Spring Meadow Infant School (0.8 miles) and Ely St Mary's CofE Junior School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.