Cromwell Community College

About Cromwell Community College

Cromwell Community College holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, with every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, sixth-form provision, and early years provision — all rated Good. The school’s most telling exam metric is its Progress 8 score of -0.29, which places it below the national average and well below the Cambridgeshire local authority average of 0.17. This means that, on average, pupils at Cromwell achieve nearly a third of a grade less per subject across eight GCSEs than pupils with similar starting points nationally. The school ranks 28th out of 39 state secondary schools in Cambridgeshire on this measure, and 2nd out of 4 schools in the Fenland district. While the overall picture shows room for improvement, the data also reveals variation between subjects: Progress 8 in maths is essentially flat at 0.01, while English and open subjects are significantly weaker at -0.5 and -0.49 respectively.

At Key Stage 5, the story is more encouraging. The school’s sixth form value-added score of 0.37 is rated as above average, meaning A-level students make stronger progress than similar students nationally. The average points per entry is 35.23, equivalent to a B- grade, and the best three A-levels average out at a B- as well. Around 10.7% of entries achieved AAB or higher. At GCSE, the Attainment 8 score is 41.5, and 60.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though this drops to 41.1% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 32%, with 16.6% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. The school’s EBacc average point score is 3.67. These figures suggest that while the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage — 27.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — its sixth form is a particular strength.

Cromwell is a large all-through school for ages 4 to 18, with 1,524 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,370, making it oversubscribed. For 2025/26 entry, there were 367 applications for 225 places, with 223 first-preference offers made from 247 first-preference applications — an oversubscription ratio of 1.63. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, sixth form centre, chapel, science labs, music rooms, and extensive sports provision including rowing and martial arts. Its SEND provision covers a wide spectrum, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. Families considering Cromwell should weigh the below-average GCSE progress against the strong sixth-form outcomes and the school’s clear popularity in the local area. It may particularly suit families who value a full through-school experience and a sixth form that adds real value.

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