North Cambridge Academy Review 2026: House-led pastoral care with a clear focus on aspiration

North Cambridge Academy is a mixed, non-selective secondary for students aged 11 to 16 in Kings Hedges, Cambridge, with a published admission number of 150 per year group and capacity for 750 students. The academy is part of Meridian Trust, and its pastoral model is built around named Houses, with Student Support Assistants and Senior Tutors acting as the day-to-day first port of call for families.

The recent inspection picture is steady. The February 2025 Ofsted inspection concluded the academy had taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at its previous inspection. The report also sets a clear improvement priority around consistent classroom adaptation for students with additional needs.

Parents considering the school should expect a structured day, free breakfast for students, and an end-of-day window that explicitly includes clubs and interventions. This matters, because it signals that enrichment and catch-up are designed into the timetable rather than being treated as optional extras.

The academy’s identity is strongly shaped by its house structure. Students are placed into Houses (Ali, Hawking, Mandela), and these House teams are presented as the backbone of pastoral care, with vertical tutor groups spanning Years 7 to 11. The intent is straightforward: consistent relationships with familiar staff who know the student well, and a clear home base for families to contact when issues arise.

There is also a practical, outward-facing sense of purpose in the school’s published narrative. The inspection report describes high ambition and a focus on removing barriers and raising aspirations, supported by links with local businesses and universities. That combination tends to appeal to families who want a school that is realistic about context but not limited by it.

Leadership visibility is relatively easy to verify via the school’s public staff directory. Jane Driver is listed as Principal, and Meridian Trust’s profile of her highlights a languages and school-improvement background, alongside a specific emphasis on leadership development and community impact. The Trust profile states that she joined as Principal in September (the year is not specified in the published profile).

FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking places North Cambridge Academy 2,359th in England and 24th locally (Cambridge) for GCSE outcomes. This sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). (FindMySchool ranking based on official data.)

On headline measures, the academy’s Attainment 8 score is 46.7. Progress 8 is +0.19, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points.

The EBacc picture is a key contextual point. The average EBacc APS is 3.82, and 7.8% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure. The most useful interpretation here is to treat EBacc as a developing area rather than the settled centre of gravity. The inspection report notes that the number of pupils taking EBacc subjects continues to rise, which suggests the academy is actively pushing breadth over time rather than standing still.

For families comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view these measures side-by-side with nearby schools, particularly when Progress 8 is a priority indicator for your child’s starting point.

The curriculum story is one of refinement rather than reinvention. The inspection report describes an ambitious and inclusive curriculum that is continually adjusted so it stays relevant to changing student needs, supported by staff training designed to keep subject knowledge current. The implication for families is stability with incremental improvement, rather than frequent initiative churn.

Reading is treated as a deliberate intervention priority for students who need it. The inspection report describes a structured approach where staff identify students who find reading difficult and provide planned support so they can catch up, including vocabulary development. For students whose confidence is held back by reading fluency, this can be the difference between coping and actively engaging across subjects.

A fair, evidence-based caveat sits alongside this. The report indicates that teaching is not always consistently adapted to meet the needs of students with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and that this inconsistency can limit learning in some lessons. That is a specific improvement point parents of students with additional needs should explore carefully, including how staff share strategies and how support is deployed in different subjects.

Because the academy is 11 to 16, “next steps” is mainly about post-16 destinations in the Cambridge area rather than university outcomes. The inspection report states that students move on to a range of appropriate colleges and workplaces, and it also highlights careers education as a strength, including opportunities delivered through external speakers and themed “flatpack days”.

This is one of those areas where the school’s approach matters as much as its headline data. A careers curriculum that includes employer engagement tends to suit students who learn best when they can see practical routes ahead, including technical qualifications and apprenticeships as well as academic sixth-form pathways.

There is also a notable partnership angle in the wider Cambridge context. The Stephen Perse Foundation describes a funded sixth-form places partnership for some North Cambridge Academy alumni, rising to eight new places in September 2025. It is not a universal pathway, but it is a distinctive opportunity for eligible students with the right fit and motivation.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through the local authority rather than directly through the academy, and the academy states that it follows Cambridgeshire County Council’s admissions and oversubscription criteria, with the local authority administering the process. The school’s published admission number is 150 per year group.

For September 2026 entry, Cambridgeshire’s published timeline states that on-time applications close on 31 October 2025, and families who applied by that date can view their allocation in their portal on 2 March 2026. The same page states that applications submitted from 1 November 2025 onwards are treated as late and must be received by 31 March 2026 for that round.

The practical implication is that timing matters as much as preference order. Families shortlisting North Cambridge Academy alongside other Cambridge secondaries should build a calendar early in Year 6, and use tools such as FindMySchoolMap Search to sense-check travel time and realistic options before submitting preferences.

The academy’s published pastoral model is explicit. House teams include Senior Tutors and Student Support Assistants, and the school positions the House Office as the focal point for day-to-day support for both students and parents. The system is designed to keep relationships consistent across five years, which can be particularly helpful for students who benefit from continuity and predictable adults.

The inspection report supports a generally positive day-to-day picture: improved routines and raised expectations are linked with students behaving well, lessons being rarely disrupted, and students treating staff and peers with respect. It also describes effective therapies and support for students who need help “getting back on track”, and notes that students trust House staff to address issues such as bullying if they arise.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the latest inspection report. For parents, the right practical next step is to ask how concerns are reported and followed up, and how the school balances firm routines with relational support, especially for students who find attendance and engagement difficult.

The school’s enrichment language is built around participation as expectation, not an optional add-on. The PLEDGES programme is the clearest expression of that intent. Students are expected to engage in opportunities beyond lessons and work towards staged awards (bronze, silver, gold) across areas such as participation, leadership, service, and environment. The benefit is simple: students who might not self-select into clubs still get structured prompts to try activities and accumulate experiences that build confidence.

There are also distinctive programme elements referenced in official sources. The inspection report highlights a “rich range of clubs and other experiences”, plus a community café used as a social space after school. Separately, Meridian Trust’s profile of the Principal references a Saturday Club, and the wider “Learning Outside the Classroom” approach includes educational visits, speakers, museums, and competitions as part of the academy’s enrichment offer.

Sport and physical activity look well served by facilities. The academy describes a sports hall, dance studio, astroturf, tennis courts, grass pitches, and a boxing and martial arts dojo, and it also notes that the site hosts evening and weekend clubs through community use. The implication for students is practical access to space and equipment, which often translates into more consistent fixtures, training, and participation across the year.

The school day is published clearly. The site opens to students from 8:20am, with free breakfast available until 8:40am, and students are expected to arrive by 8:40am. Lessons run through to 3:05pm, followed by a scheduled 3:05pm to 4:00pm window for clubs and interventions.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Parents should still budget for the usual secondary costs such as uniform, equipment, and optional trips, and ask about any paid extracurricular activities linked to external providers.

For events and community use, the academy states there is ample on-site parking.

• EBacc strategy is still evolving. The academy’s EBacc-related measures are a current watchpoint, even though the inspection report notes EBacc entry is rising. Families who prioritise a strongly EBacc-driven pathway should ask how subject choices and guidance are handled at Key Stage 4.

• Consistency for students with additional needs. The latest inspection identifies variable classroom adaptation for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities. If your child relies on consistent in-class adjustments, explore how teachers are supported to implement strategies across subjects.

• 16-plus transition requires planning. With the school ending at Year 11, families need to think early about post-16 routes, including local sixth forms and colleges. The school’s careers work appears well developed, but the choice architecture sits outside the academy itself.

North Cambridge Academy is best understood as a structured, community-focused 11 to 16 where pastoral care is deliberately organised through Houses, and where aspiration is pursued through practical careers education and a participation-led enrichment model. It suits families who want clear routines, visible support structures, and above-average progress indicators, while accepting that the strongest academic signal is progress rather than top-end selective outcomes. The main decision points are the fit for students with additional needs, and how closely the school’s Key Stage 4 subject strategy matches your priorities.