The Cavendish School, Impington
The Cavendish School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 18 in Impington, part of Eastern Learning Alliance. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Cavendish School in detail
The Cavendish School in its own words
In its own words: "We understand that young people and their families may arrive at The Cavendish School with a poor previous experience of education. Some will have experienced bullying and may have little trust in education. We also know that children and young people with autism often struggle with anxiety and frustrations."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Cavendish School are Hope Tree School (0.7 miles, Good, selective); Gretton School (1.3 miles, selective); Castle School, Cambridge (1.8 miles, Requires improvement); and The Centre School (2.6 miles, Good).
Hope Tree SchoolGretton SchoolCastle School, CambridgeThe Centre School
The trust
The Cavendish School is one of 8 schools run by Eastern Learning Alliance, an academy trust.
Who goes there
30.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at The Cavendish School has an education, health and care plan (128 of 128 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cambridge North Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Macfarlane Close (opposite), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Cavendish School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Cavendish School issued 7 suspensions, 6 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 9% to 0% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 9% to 0% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 55% to 44% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Cavendish School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Cavendish School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Cavendish School 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
- 12
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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
School Occupancy
160%
Over capacity
128 pupils
80 places
48 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Impington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Impington
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
128
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
128
Total Pupils
102
Boys
26
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
5.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,369
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.7%
Overall absence
35.0%
Persistent absence
120
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Cavendish School
What are GCSE results like at The Cavendish School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Cavendish School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 25.3. 22% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Cavendish School's Ofsted rating?
The Cavendish School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
What is the catchment area for The Cavendish School?
No fixed boundary. When The Cavendish School is oversubscribed, Cambridgeshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Cavendish School?
The Cavendish School has around 128 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Cavendish School?
14.7% of sessions were missed at The Cavendish School in 2024/25. 35% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Cavendish School?
Apply through Cambridgeshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Cavendish School 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 The Cavendish School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 The Cavendish School?
The Cavendish School is at Park Drive, Impington, CB24 9LY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)