The Martin Bacon Academy, Northstowe
The Martin Bacon Academy is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Northstowe, part of Meridian Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Martin Bacon Academy in detail
The Martin Bacon Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Martin Bacon Academy is a state of the art, Area Special School that opened in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, in 2020. We cater for children and young people aged 3 to 19 who have a range of complex and significant learning needs in the area of cognition and learning (with other co-occurring conditions)."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Martin Bacon Academy are The Centre School (2.4 miles, Good); Gretton School (2.6 miles, selective); Hope Tree School (3.1 miles, Good, selective); and The Cavendish School (3.2 miles, Outstanding).
The Centre SchoolGretton SchoolHope Tree SchoolThe Cavendish School
The trust
The Martin Bacon Academy is one of 36 schools run by Meridian Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
35 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Martin Bacon Academy (as of September 2025): 74% would recommend the school, 83% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (83%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (60%).
Who goes there
46.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (57%) and Mixed (12%).
Almost every pupil at The Martin Bacon Academy has an education, health and care plan (152 of 152 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Martin Bacon Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 20 places, 7 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The Martin Bacon Academy.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Martin Bacon Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Martin Bacon Academy issued 4 suspensions, 2.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
At this calm and orderly school, staff identify and celebrate each pupil's 'superpowers'. Staff often use these strengths or interests in lessons. This makes learning more engaging and enjoyable. Pupils love to take part. This positive approach supports pupils' well-being.
At school and home, pupils complete a series of 'PLEDGES'. These are ambitious and challenging goals that extend pupils' knowledge and help them to develop new skills. Achieving these helps pupils achieve more. This fosters pupils' pride.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is well structured. It has defined pathways for each learning stage and subject. This gives staff the clarity they need to implement the curriculum well. There is a collaborative approach to designing a series of lessons. This means that all staff know exactly what to teach and when. The school considers all activities as valuable learning opportunities. All staff are very clear about this. Pupils make exceptional progress because teaching maximises all learning time.
All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Each pupil has personal learning goals that cover all aspects of their development needs. Learning tasks align with these goals. Pupils receive the necessary teaching to develop their strengths. Staff also ensure that any gaps in pupils' knowledge are addressed. The clarity of the curriculum design, and the skills of the staff, ensure that pupils' knowledge develops extremely well.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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.
At a Glance
46.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
35 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with The Martin Bacon Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Martin Bacon Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Martin Bacon Academy 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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
85%
Available places
152 pupils
178 places
26 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Northstowe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Northstowe
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
152
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Martin Bacon Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 20 places, 7 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
152
Total Pupils
115
Boys
37
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
6.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,386
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
26.3%
Persistent absence
137
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
The Martin Bacon Academy
Questions parents ask about The Martin Bacon Academy
What are GCSE results like at The Martin Bacon Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Martin Bacon Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is the catchment area for The Martin Bacon Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Martin Bacon Academy is oversubscribed, Cambridgeshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Martin Bacon Academy?
The Martin Bacon Academy has around 152 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Martin Bacon Academy have specialist SEN provision?
The Martin Bacon Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 20 places, 7 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Martin Bacon Academy?
8.6% of sessions were missed at The Martin Bacon Academy in 2024/25. 26.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Martin Bacon Academy?
Apply through Cambridgeshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Martin Bacon Academy 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 Martin Bacon Academy?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Martin Bacon Academy?
The Martin Bacon Academy is at Stirling Road, Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, CB24 1DH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)