Best Secondary Schools in Cambridgeshire 2026

Ranked by Ofsted rating, exam results, attendance, and class sizes. 33 schools across Cambridgeshire. Updated with 2025–26 data.

How many schools?
33
Open secondary schools in Cambridgeshire
Closed schools excluded
Inspection picture
27 Good or better
of 32 with a historic Ofsted grade
Historic single-word grades · pre-Nov-2025
How is this list ordered?
SNM score
Chesterton Community College currently leads
Methodology

Cambridgeshire has 33 open secondary schools. Of the 32 with a published Ofsted inspection, 7 (22%) held a historic grade of Outstanding and 84% held Good or Outstanding — these are the last single-word grades from before Ofsted retired them on 10 November 2025 (how we treat Ofsted data). On our composite Schools Near Me score, Chesterton Community College currently leads the local rankings. Closed schools are excluded from every list on this page.

Use the ranked table below to compare schools side by side, then open any school for the full picture. Application deadlines in Cambridgeshire follow the national calendar: 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively.

All schools Primary Secondary
Rank School Ofsted (historic) SNM Score Profile
1. Chesterton Community College
Secondary
 Outstanding 98 View school
2. St Bede's Inter-Church School
Secondary
 Outstanding 88 View school
3. Parkside Community College
Secondary
 Outstanding 81 View school
4. Impington Village College
Secondary
 Good 78 View school
5. Comberton Village College
Secondary
 Outstanding 78 View school
6. Swavesey Village College
Secondary
 Outstanding 73 View school
7. Cambourne Village College
Secondary
 Outstanding 70 View school
8. Coleridge Community College
Secondary
 Good 69 View school
9. Soham Village College
Secondary
 Outstanding 69 View school
10. Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology
Secondary
 Good 69 View school
11. Hinchingbrooke School
Secondary
 Good 62 View school
12. Linton Village College
Secondary
 Good 62 View school
13. Sawston Village College
Secondary
 Good 61 View school
14. Ely College
Secondary
 Good 59 View school
15. Cottenham Village College
Secondary
 Good 59 View school
16. Sawtry Village Academy
Secondary
 Good 56 View school
17. Abbey College, Ramsey
Secondary
 Good 54 View school
18. St Ivo Academy
Secondary
 Good 54 View school
19. Trumpington Community College
Secondary
 Good 54 View school
20. Witchford Village College
Secondary
 Good 52 View school

Ranked by the Schools Near Me score. Ofsted grades shown are each school's last single-word grade from before 10 November 2025, when Ofsted retired single-word overall judgements — they are historic and not comparable to the new report cards. How we use Ofsted data. Closed schools are excluded.

Related lists for Cambridgeshire

Best primary schools in CambridgeshireTop-ranked Reception–Year 6 Best secondary schools in CambridgeshireTop-ranked Year 7 onwards All schools in CambridgeshirePrimary & secondary combined Primary schools in CambridgeshireReception–Year 6 only How the Schools Near Me score worksOur ranking methodology, explained

Nearby areas

Schools in PeterboroughCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in BedfordCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in North NorthamptonshireCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in Central BedfordshireCompare neighbouring authority

See full data for any school in Cambridgeshire

Catchment distances, exam trends, SEN data, attendance, and more — all in one place.

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Frequently asked questions

How many secondary schools are there in Cambridgeshire?
There are 33 open secondary schools in Cambridgeshire (closed schools are excluded). 7 of the 32 with a published inspection held a historic Ofsted grade of Outstanding (the last single-word grade before single-word grades were retired on 10 November 2025).
What are the best-rated secondary schools in Cambridgeshire?
On our Schools Near Me score, the top-ranked secondary school in Cambridgeshire is Chesterton Community College. The full ranked table above lists the top 20 schools with their score and last historic Ofsted grade. We never list closed schools.
How is the Schools Near Me score calculated?
The Schools Near Me score is a 0–100 composite combining the school's last historic Ofsted grade, published exam and assessment results, attendance and pupil–teacher ratio. It is not an Ofsted rating. Full methodology: https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#score
Are Ofsted single-word grades still current in Cambridgeshire?
No. Ofsted retired single-word overall grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate) on 10 November 2025 and replaced them with report cards. Any single-word grade shown on this page is the school's last historic grade from before that date and is not comparable to the new report cards. See https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#ofsted
How do I apply for a school place in Cambridgeshire?
Primary and secondary applications in Cambridgeshire are coordinated by the local authority on the national timetable: apply by 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and by 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively. Check the Cambridgeshire council website for local forms and any in-year rules.

Data sourced from Ofsted, Department for Education, and ISI. School rankings reflect the Schools Near Me composite score combining Ofsted ratings, exam results, attendance, and pupil-teacher ratios. Last updated April 2026.