Ely College Review 2026: A big school that runs on houses, mentoring, and clear next steps

A secondary with sixth form scale is the defining feature here, with around 1,650 pupils and a published capacity of 1,650. That size could feel anonymous, but the organising idea is personal, mixed age tutor groups sit alongside a house system designed to keep pupils known, mentored, and routinely checked in.

The current Ofsted picture is also important context. The latest inspection took place on 25 and 26 March 2025, it was ungraded, and it reported evidence that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas; the published judgement remains Good from the last graded inspection in June 2019.

For families weighing options in and around Ely, the headline is balance. GCSE outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England, yet progress measures are strong, and the school offers a wide range of routes at 16, including Bishop Laney Sixth Form, technical courses, and employer linked pathways.

This is a school that tries to make “large” feel structured rather than sprawling. The 2025 inspection describes pupils feeling safe and known as individuals, with mixed age tutor groups supporting friendships across year groups. That theme shows up again in the way the house system is framed, houses are responsible for welfare and progress, siblings are kept together, and there is an explicit staff team around each house, including a Senior Tutor and a Student Support Assistant.

House identity is not just branding. The published house names are distinctive and local in tone, Etheldreda, Equiano, Franklin, Scott, Seacole, and Turing. For pupils, that can translate into a clearer sense of belonging, plus predictable adult touchpoints when something is going well, or when it is not.

Personal development is framed as part of the core offer, rather than an optional extra. The PLEDGES award is described as a structured route for pupils to build life skills and cultural awareness through taking part in, organising, and leading activities, including in the local community. The practical implication is that pupil leadership is meant to be routine and visible, think house ambassadors, school councillors, and librarians, rather than a small club for the already confident.

Leadership is stable and clearly identified. Simon Warburton is named as Principal in the most recent Ofsted report, and on the official government school record.

Ely College’s GCSE outcomes are best understood as “solid overall, with a stronger progress story than raw headline averages might suggest”.

GCSE ranking and context (FindMySchool)

Ranked 1,419th in England and 1st in Ely for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

Attainment and progress

The Attainment 8 score is 52.3. Progress 8 is +0.65, a level that indicates pupils make substantially above average progress from their starting points.

EBacc measures

The average EBacc point score is 4.57, above the England average of 4.08. The proportion achieving grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects is 14.5%.

All figures in this paragraph come from the FindMySchool dataset for this school.

That profile has a practical meaning for parents. If your child arrives with average or slightly below average prior attainment, a high positive Progress 8 score is often the more meaningful indicator than league table headlines. It suggests the school is adding value over time through consistent teaching routines, curriculum sequencing, and intervention when pupils fall behind.

A level results are a different picture.

A level ranking and context (FindMySchool)

Ranked 2,356th in England and 2nd in Ely for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this falls below England average, placing it in the bottom 40% of schools in England.

Grades

23.23% of entries are A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2%. A* to A is 7.07%, compared with an England average of 23.6%.

All figures in this paragraph come from the FindMySchool dataset for this school.

This does not automatically make the sixth form a poor choice, but it does mean parents should look carefully at course mix, entry requirements for particular subjects, and how the sixth form sets and enforces attendance expectations, because those operational details can have an outsized impact on post 16 outcomes in a mixed academic and vocational setting.

The school’s strongest described academic features are consistency, clarity, and adaptation.

Curriculum planning appears intentional rather than reactive. The 2025 inspection describes a broad and ambitious curriculum that engages all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, and it highlights subject leaders specifying precisely what pupils must know and understand. The implication for families is that the “what” of learning is meant to be stable across teachers and sets, which usually reduces variability between classes in a large school.

Classroom practice is described in practical terms: teachers have strong subject knowledge; explanations are clear and precise; and checking for understanding is routine, with quick intervention when pupils struggle. That combination usually suits pupils who benefit from predictable lesson structure, particularly in Key Stage 3, where gaps can widen quickly if routines are inconsistent.

Reading is explicitly positioned as a culture and a system, not simply a library. The inspection refers to pupils reading a wide variety of challenging texts, and to targeted support for pupils who arrive without fluent reading. For parents, that matters because secondary literacy support is often the hidden driver of improved outcomes across the curriculum, particularly in humanities, sciences, and vocational courses with technical terminology.

There are two distinct transition points to consider: post 16 destinations after Year 11, and destinations after sixth form.

After Year 11: local destinations are clearly mapped

The school publishes destination information showing a significant proportion of Year 11 pupils progressing to Bishop Laney Sixth Form, with others moving on to sixth form colleges and further education providers in the Cambridge area. This is useful because it signals that staying on is common but not assumed, and that the school expects pupils to choose the right route rather than defaulting to one option.

Bishop Laney itself is framed as a mixed academic and professional offer. It uses the Cambridge Area Partnership application route via MyChoice16 for September 2026 entry. For students who want a clearly vocational strand alongside Level 3 study, the sixth form highlights industry style environments and partner led programmes, including a commercial hair and beauty salon and a football development route.

After sixth form: a mixed set of outcomes

For the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort (116 students), 19% progressed to university, 15% to apprenticeships, 39% to employment, and 1% to further education.

Those figures are not a judgement in themselves, but they do tell parents what questions to ask. If your child is aiming for university, you will want to understand which courses, which support, and which expectations make that route more likely, especially when employment is a common outcome in the published leaver picture. If your child is keen on apprenticeships, the same figures suggest that practical routes are realistic and well trodden.

Oxbridge is present, but on a small scale. In the measurement period, there were 2 applications to Cambridge, with 1 offer and 1 acceptance.

All figures in this paragraph come from the FindMySchool dataset for this school.

Ely College is a state funded school, admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Cambridgeshire.

Key entry point and capacity

The admissions policy references Year 7 admissions for September 2026 and indicates that if applications exceed 270, places are allocated using published oversubscription criteria. The catchment area and feeder primary schools are signposted through the county’s mapping service.

Local authority timeline for September 2026 Year 7 entry

Cambridgeshire’s secondary admissions page confirms that applications submitted by 31 October 2025 are treated as on time. It also states that allocations can be viewed in the online portal on 02 March 2026, and that allocations are sent to Cambridgeshire residents on 24 April 2026; late applications must be received by 31 March 2026.

Open events and transition

For families planning ahead, the Year 6 transition information shows that information evenings for new starters have previously been scheduled in late September, with additional transition activity through spring and summer. For current, live dates, it is sensible to check the school calendar each year because event timings can shift, even when the pattern stays similar.

Sixth form admissions

Bishop Laney applications for September 2026 are made through MyChoice16 via the Cambridge Area Partnership, rather than a direct paper process.

A practical tip for families weighing admissions outcomes is to use the FindMySchool Map Search to check your exact home to school distance in the same way the local authority measures it, then keep an eye on annual patterns as they are published.

Pastoral systems here are built around adult relationships and consistent routines.

Mixed age tutor groups and the house system are the structural backbone. The inspection describes mentoring time with form tutors as planned and regular, supporting target setting and agreed support, and it notes strong pastoral support for the small number of pupils who struggle with behaviour. The house structure then adds another layer of continuity, with named staff teams and an explicit aim that families get to know their house staff over time.

Wellbeing work is presented as part of normal school life rather than an add on. The school’s own communications have included a device free day as a prompt for reflection on smartphone habits and the link between digital usage and mental health conversations at home. For parents, the key question is not whether a single initiative exists, but whether it is linked to a wider personal development programme and consistent expectations in tutor time and assemblies. The 2025 inspection describes the personal development programme building knowledge over time, including keeping safe, mental health, and positive relationships.

Ofsted states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The extracurricular story is most convincing when it becomes specific, and there is plenty of specificity available.

Session 6 and a practical after school structure

The school describes an after school programme known as Session 6, with the day often extending to 4.15pm for pupils staying for activities or curriculum support. Examples of less typical clubs given include Warhammer, Knitting, and Archaeology Club. The implication is that extracurricular is not only sport and music, there is room for quieter, interest led communities too, which can be decisive for pupils who do not identify as “team sport” children.

Awards, leadership, and service

PLEDGES is positioned as a whole school framework, with progress tracked through tutors and houses and awards presented through school systems. This matters because leadership development is more effective when it is visible and tracked, rather than dependent on a single enthusiastic staff member.

Trips and learning beyond the classroom

The school highlights Learning Outside the Classroom as a formal priority and references achieving the Silver Mark for Learning Outside the Classroom through the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. Concrete examples named in the same set of materials include a criminology prison visit and residential trips to Iceland. There is also a published reference to a World Challenge 2026 expedition to Bali, suggesting ongoing appetite for ambitious travel opportunities where families opt in.

Music with a local anchor

Pupils are described as proud of chamber choir performances at Ely Cathedral. That kind of visible, local venue performance is often the strongest indicator that music is not confined to the classroom, it becomes a public facing part of school identity.

Sixth form pathways with employer facing elements

Two named sixth form offers stand out. First, the Norwich City FC Regional Development College Football Programme describes daily training with UEFA licensed coaches for 6 to 8 hours per week. Second, The Salon is presented as a commercial training environment where students develop hair and beauty skills with paying clients while supervised by qualified staff. For students who learn best through practical performance and feedback, these environments can be an excellent fit, assuming the academic programme alongside them is chosen with care.

Parents comparing extracurricular provision across nearby schools can use the FindMySchool Comparison Tool to line up what is actually offered, rather than relying on general impressions.

The published school day runs from 8.30am to 3.00pm for regular provision, with additional after school sessions available through Session 6, often extending to 4.15pm for those who stay on.

Ely’s transport links are a genuine advantage for older students, the city is rail connected and many families will find bus, cycle, or rail based commuting practical, especially for sixth formers combining study with work experience or part time employment.

Term dates are published clearly, including training days and half term windows, which is helpful for planning childcare and travel around a secondary timetable.

• Sixth form attendance expectations. The 2025 inspection highlights that sixth form attendance expectations do not always match those in the rest of the school, and it links this to some students not achieving as well as they could. For families considering post 16 here, ask how attendance is monitored, what the triggers are for intervention, and how quickly support is put in place.

• A level outcomes lag GCSE progress. GCSE progress measures are strong, yet A level grade distribution is below England averages in the FindMySchool dataset. That gap makes it important to discuss subject choice, entry requirements, and the support structure for independent study at 16.

• Scale can be a positive or a challenge. With around 1,650 pupils, the school can offer breadth, but some pupils need time to settle into a larger setting. The house and mentoring model is designed to reduce that risk, but parents of anxious pupils should pay attention to transition support and early communication.

• Academic pathways versus EBacc. EBacc performance measures suggest EBacc is not the dominant route for many pupils here. If your child is aiming for a highly academic, language heavy pathway, ask early how EBacc subject uptake is encouraged and supported through Key Stage 4 options.

Ely College is a large, structured, and outward facing secondary with sixth form, with a clear emphasis on mentoring, houses, and personal development that links school life to the wider community. GCSE outcomes sit in the mid range for England overall, yet progress is a clear strength, which will matter to many families more than raw headlines.

Best suited to pupils who will benefit from a big school’s breadth, who like having multiple routes at 16, and whose families value clear pastoral structures through houses and tutor mentoring. The main question mark is sixth form consistency, so post 16 applicants should take a close look at attendance expectations, study habits support, and how the sixth form balances vocational and academic routes.