Soham Village College
106%
Capacity
1,432
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Soham Village College
Soham Village College is a mixed state secondary in Cambridgeshire, serving pupils from 11 to 16. It sits within the East Cambridgeshire local authority area, where it ranks first out of five schools of the same type, placing it in the top 20th percentile locally. Among its top-performing peers in the wider Cambridgeshire area are Chesterton Community College, St Bede's Inter-Church School, and Sawston Village College, all of which also achieve strong Progress 8 scores. The school is led by headteacher Jon Hampson and currently accommodates 1,432 pupils, slightly above its official capacity of 1,350. It has no religious character and does not operate a sixth form. With 18.4 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a broadly representative community. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in June 2024, awarded the school an overall rating of Outstanding, a significant upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2016. Every inspected category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — was judged Outstanding.
Academically, Soham Village College delivers results that are well above average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.75 places it in the top 10 per cent of schools nationally and ranks 25th out of 350 schools in the East of England region. This is considerably higher than the Cambridgeshire local authority average of 0.17. The school’s Attainment 8 score stands at 53, and 78.6 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. Progress in the EBacc subjects is particularly strong at 0.91, while English and maths progress scores are 0.63 and 0.67 respectively. The EBacc average point score is 4.53, though only 17.3 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc combination. The school’s progress 8 banding is classified as well above average, and its confidence interval (0.58 to 0.93) confirms the result is statistically significant. These outcomes place Soham among the highest-performing state secondaries in the region.
The school is well equipped with facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, astro turf, playing fields, science labs, music rooms, a theatre, and art studios. Sports offered range from football and rugby to rowing and cross country, while clubs include Debate, Model UN, Duke of Edinburgh, Coding, and Drama. SEND provisions cover a wide range of needs, including specific learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed: 300 first-preference applications were received for 261 total places, with 258 first-preference offers made. The oversubscription ratio of 1.93 reflects strong local demand. Soham Village College is best suited to families seeking a high-performing, inclusive secondary with strong academic outcomes, broad extracurricular opportunities, and a clear track record of progress, particularly for pupils who may benefit from its well-documented SEND support.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Sand Street, Ely, East Cambridgeshire, CB7 5AA |
| Headteacher | Jon Hampson |
| Local Authority | Cambridgeshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,432 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,432 / 1,350 (106% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 Jun 2024Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Source: Ofsted, 14 Jul 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.75)
221st of 3,141
Nationally
25th of 350
In East of England
1st of 5
In East Cambridgeshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2310%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 282 pupils).
- Sixth form college55%
- FE college25%
- School sixth form (stay)10%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment3%
- Not sustained2%
98% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed261
505
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
300 families put this school as their 1st choice (59% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British82.1%
- White (other)8.7%
- Mixed4.2%
- Asian1.3%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Soham Village College
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Sand Street, Ely
East Cambridgeshire, CB7 5AA
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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