Soham Village College Review 2026: Outstanding 11–16 Academy in Soham

A secondary school where high expectations are normalised, not performative. Soham Village College serves students aged 11 to 16, with a published capacity of 1,350. Academic performance sits in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England, while progress measures indicate that many students make substantially stronger progress than typical from their starting points.

The latest Ofsted inspection (19 and 20 June 2024) judged the school Outstanding overall, with Outstanding in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Leadership continuity is a notable stabiliser. Jon Hampson is the current headteacher, and earlier inspection documentation states he has been in post since September 2016.

The school’s public messaging emphasises care alongside ambition, and the day-to-day structures support that claim. The timetable is clearly organised, registration and tutor time are built into the morning routine across year groups, and the school week totals 32.5 hours for teaching time.

PRIDE values are embedded into student recognition systems rather than left as posters. A distinctive example is the School Award Ties framework, which links awards in sport and the arts to sustained commitment and consistent conduct, not one-off moments. For families, that tends to translate into a culture where effort is noticed over time, and where participation is not treated as secondary to grades.

There is also a clear sense that students are expected to represent the school well, whether that is through performance, sport, or academic enrichment. The recent staging of Our House the Musical shows how that expectation is channelled into a large collaborative production, with students involved across choreography, lighting design, backstage roles, set and costume, as well as performing.

In inclusion terms, the school signals that it wants students to feel safe being themselves. It was re-awarded the Rainbow Flag Award in May 2024 and runs an SVC Pride group for LGBT+ students and allies.

On headline GCSE measures, the school ranks 1,464th in England and 2nd in the Ely area for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This places performance in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

Progress is the stronger story. The school’s Progress 8 score is 0.75, which indicates substantially above-average progress across eight qualifications from students’ starting points.

Attainment and EBacc indicators add context. The average Attainment 8 score is 53, and the school’s average EBacc APS is 4.53.

These findings have practical implications. For many families, a school with strong progress measures is especially relevant where children arrive with mixed starting points, or where parents want confidence that teaching builds knowledge securely rather than relying on prior advantage. (Rankings and performance figures above are from the FindMySchool dataset only.)

Parents comparing secondaries locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub to view performance side-by-side with nearby schools using the Comparison Tool, while keeping like-for-like measures in view.

Curriculum design is described in official reporting as carefully sequenced, with subject specialists identifying what students need to learn and building that knowledge in manageable steps across time.

A strong reading culture is a standout operational choice. Reading is not treated as an add-on, and the library is positioned as a working space, not a decorative quiet room. It sits opposite the science block, is open from 8.15am until 4.00pm on weekdays, and combines quiet study tables with a quiet reading area. Students can borrow up to three books at a time for a two-week period, with additional lending for DVDs and magazines.

Support for students who need to catch up is framed as timely and structured. In addition, the school uses an on-site provision called The Isle, intended to support students with attendance, health, and behavioural issues. For families, this matters because it suggests a practical safety net that sits within the school rather than pushing issues outwards or relying solely on external services.

Where Students Go Next

Soham Village College is an 11–16 school, so the principal transition point is post-16. Careers education is treated as a planned programme rather than a single annual event. The school describes careers provision being delivered through PSHE days, assemblies and presentations, tutor time, curriculum-based learning, workplace visits, and evening events.

A concrete indicator of quality assurance is that the school gained the Quality in Careers Standard in April 2022, described as recognising careers provision that is embedded within school culture.

Without published destination percentages in the provided dataset, families should treat post-16 choices as personal to the student and focus on the practical preparation offered: guidance, exposure to options including apprenticeships and technical routes, and help with applications. This is particularly relevant where students want a clear route to sixth form, college, or vocational pathways with minimal last-minute stress.

Year 7 admissions are handled through your home local authority, including for families living outside Cambridgeshire. The school sets out oversubscription criteria that begin with students whose Education, Health and Care Plan names the school, followed by looked-after and previously looked-after children.

A school-specific feature is the definition of the served area through named feeder primaries, with priority categories that consider residence in the served area and sibling links. The listed primaries include Burwell Village College (Primary), Fordham Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, Isleham Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, Kennett Community Primary School, St Andrew’s Church of England (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School in Soham, The Shade Primary School in Soham, and The Weatheralls Community Primary School in Soham.

Distance is used as a tie-break within the published criteria, measured in a straight line to the school gates, with random allocation used where distances cannot separate applicants.

Demand signals in the FindMySchool dataset indicate the school is oversubscribed, with 505 applications for 261 offers in the most recent recorded admissions cycle.

For families thinking about likelihood of allocation, it is sensible to use the FindMySchool Map Search to estimate practical proximity, then cross-check against the school’s published criteria and your local authority’s application guidance.

Open events appear to follow a predictable annual rhythm. For the 2026 entry cycle, the school advertised an Open Evening on Thursday 25 September 2025 (6pm to 8pm) and indicated that Open Mornings are also available by prior arrangement in early October.

Behaviour and conduct are supported through both culture and practical systems. The school’s inclusion work includes a dedicated Young Carers Lead and a stated approach that can include homework space, time-out options, wellbeing check-ins, and referrals to local support where appropriate.

Wellbeing information is signposted clearly for families and students, with guidance encouraging early communication with the school when concerns arise, and a curated set of external organisations for advice and support.

For students who need additional structure, the on-site provision The Isle is relevant, particularly for attendance, health, and behavioural barriers. The implication for families is that there is an internal route for targeted support without immediately escalating to exclusionary measures.

The co-curricular offer is unusually specific, which matters because it gives students multiple ways to belong. The published clubs timetable includes, among others: Rubik’s Cubing, Pharmacology, Astronomy Club, Finance Society, Philosophy, Coding Club, History Club, Cello Voce, Chess, Scrabble, Warhammer, Book Club, and a Reading Group.

Debating is a good example of enrichment with real-world stretch. The Debate Club visited the Cambridge Union, where students watched and participated in the main debate, and the club also describes debating a range of motions and participating in Model United Nations.

Performing arts appear to have scale. The school’s Performing Arts Centre auditorium was used for a full production run of Our House the Musical, involving around 50 students and a broad set of technical and creative roles. For students who are not primarily academic, this sort of production can be the anchor that keeps engagement high across the week.

Outdoor and sporting development is also being strengthened through facilities planning. The school describes work beginning on a full-size 3G all-weather pitch as a community project with local football clubs, with the stated goal of improving access to sport for students and community members, and responding to local demand from football teams in the town.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is available from Year 9 at Bronze, with an option to progress to Silver in Year 10. This provides a structured route for students who respond well to goals, independence, and practical responsibility.

The school day runs from 8.30am to 3.00pm, with different lesson and break structures for Years 7–8 compared with Years 9–11. Total teaching time is 32.5 hours per week.

For study beyond lessons, the library operates as an all-day resource space and is open from 8.15am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday, with computers available and homework club based there after school until 4.00pm.

Transport information on the school site focuses on expectations for behaviour on home-to-school travel. For rail users, Soham has a National Rail station with standard facilities and onward travel information.

• Competitive entry dynamics. The school is oversubscribed in the FindMySchool dataset, which means families should treat admissions as uncertain and plan backups, even if they live locally.

• No sixth form on site. Post-16 transition is inevitable; families should engage early with careers guidance and visit local sixth forms and colleges during Year 10 and Year 11 to avoid rushed decisions.

• High expectations can feel intense for some students. Strong progress measures and an ambitious curriculum tend to suit students who respond well to structured challenge; children who need a lighter pace may require careful pastoral planning.

Soham Village College combines a highly rated inspection profile with evidence of strong student progress and an unusually well-defined enrichment offer. It suits families who want an ambitious mainstream 11–16 education, with clear routines, strong reading and study support, and plentiful routes into sport, arts, and academic extension. The main limitation is practical rather than educational: securing a place can be difficult in an oversubscribed context, and all families must plan for a post-16 move.