School Chooser

Ernulf Academy

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedAcademy720 pupilsSt. NeotsCambridgeshire
School Chooser Score
28
Below
similar schools
Likely range 21 to 38
Out of 100. Better than 36% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, January 2025
Strong pass in English and maths39%England 46%
Attendance89.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families32%A bit more than most schools
Places554 spare720 pupils, 1,274 places
Pupils per teacher16.2School workforce census

Ernulf Academy is a sponsored academy in St. Neots for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 720 pupils and room for 1,274. About 32 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 28 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Barford Road, St. Neots, PE19 2SH01480 374748astreaernulf.orgMr Thomas Fisher headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 21 January 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

134 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score40.3
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths39%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths63%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.44In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 39.339.320182019: 36.936.920192022: 42.442.420222023: 37.237.220232024: 36.236.220242025: 40.340.32025
Since 2018: +1.0Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018†CambridgeshireEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 1113414411282113103
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 840.336.237.242.436.939.349.346.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.44-0.39-0.22-0.70-0.33
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths39%29%33%44%23%30%51%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths63%53%61%66%48%50%69%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.763.343.423.872.813.214.484.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry35%47%50%43%14%18%46%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged28.026.126.632.935.031.3
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged46.139.942.747.037.341.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers26.024.929.622.524.3
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers52.256.659.847.553.5

† These results are for Ernulf Academy, the school this one replaced in September 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 15 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Combined Science50%grades 9 to 5, England 36% · 588th of 3,084 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Design & Technology (13% here, 50% across England), Business (23% here, 51% across England), Art and Design (38% here, 58% across England), Physical Education (41% here, 56% across England).

What is taught hereOffers 2 languages, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics131 entries · 28th of 34 in Cambridgeshire
44%England 53%
English Literature131 entries · 27th of 34 in Cambridgeshire
46%England 58%
English Language131 entries · 24th of 34 in Cambridgeshire
48%England 54%
Combined Science125 entries · 11th of 32 in Cambridgeshire
50%England 36%
History61 entries · 26th of 33 in Cambridgeshire
48%England 52%
Geography52 entries · 27th of 34 in Cambridgeshire
44%England 51%
Art and Design40 entries · 26th of 29 in Cambridgeshire
38%England 58%
Business39 entries · 19th of 19 in Cambridgeshire
23%England 51%
Design & Technology32 entries · 19th of 19 in Cambridgeshire
13%England 50%
Spanish28 entries · 20th of 23 in Cambridgeshire
39%England 54%
Physical Education27 entries · 17th of 18 in Cambridgeshire
41%England 56%
French18 entries
56%England 60%
53%England 55%
Drama13 entries
31%England 60%
Music11 entries
36%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics13110%44%68%53%2,209 of 3,211
English Literature13111%46%68%58%2,323 of 3,202
English Language13118%48%65%54%1,933 of 3,210
Combined Science1258%50%64%36%588 of 3,084
History6125%48%61%52%1,769 of 3,126
Geography5210%44%58%51%1,804 of 3,116
Art and Design4018%38%50%58%2,311 of 2,818
Business393%23%51%51%1,633 of 1,806
Design & Technology320%13%31%50%1,408 of 1,478
Spanish2814%39%50%54%1,484 of 1,941
Physical Education2711%41%48%56%1,159 of 1,559
French1817%56%61%60%
Media / Film / TV1712%53%71%55%
Drama138%31%54%60%
Music110%36%55%61%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
28.046.1
Gap 18.1England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
19%48%
Gap 30 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
37.043.7
Gap 6.7England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places734 pupils for 1,236 places, 2024/25
59% full

502 places were empty (41% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 16% since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 18.3 miles away in 2023. Those cut-offs are for children living outside the catchment area; every child inside it got a place. Brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups are placed first. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026.

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Secondary232125208LA
2025 Secondary232152229LA
2024 Secondary232148LA
2023 Secondary23214616923218.3 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll720Census January 2026
Places1,27457% full
Pupils from low-income families32%32% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English7%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%94 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%33 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.627 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils33%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)33%£270,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls363 / 357
White British pupils81%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (33), Moderate learning difficulty (28), Autistic spectrum disorder (22), Specific learning difficulty (20), language and communications needs (14), Hearing impairment (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll720743733703639623
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals32%32%30%30%28%27%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language7%8%8%7%7%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%14%15%14%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%4%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance89.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school25.0%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils100.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence10.3%11.2%12.3%12.3%6.6%6.2%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence7.5%7.9%8.2%9.2%4.8%4.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.8%3.3%4.2%3.1%1.8%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence25.0%32.2%32.6%37.7%17.4%14.8%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate100.5101.287.256.849.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01110

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 112 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training91%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 82%, compared with 96% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training91%82%90%91%
Education78%71%82%83%
Apprenticeship8%6%3%2%
Work5%5%4%6%
Not in education, work or training7%11%9%8%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers44.4full-time equivalent, 46 people
Pupils per teacher16.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers89%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,223
Teachers who left in the year30%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies6
Sick days per teacher9.12024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,089England £7,965. Total £6.0m
Income per pupil£8,262England £8,423. Total £6.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,202England £4,444
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £260k, £350 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£129kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,089spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m14512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate68 per 1,000 people25% lower than the England average
Typical house price£323,946Huntingdonshire

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Longsands AcademyAcademy1.4 miles1,412Good 202461Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Ernulf Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats36%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 28 is 8 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 36 · highest 64100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 28 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 28% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 21 to 38. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%below
-0.14
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 134 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 1.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.16
DfE progress measure; 134 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 773 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 134 pupils
What pupils do next5%in line
-0.01
112 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Ernulf Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Ernulf Academy scores 28 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 21 to 38, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Ernulf Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Ernulf Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 21 January 2025.

How good are Ernulf Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 39% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 40.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Ernulf Academy have?

720 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,274 places, so it is 57% full.

Is Ernulf Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 502 places were empty in 2024/25 (41% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Ernulf Academy?

Pupils were in school 89.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 25% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Ernulf Academy?

The average class had 26.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 33% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Ernulf Academy have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 91% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Barford Road, St. Neots, PE19 2SH
Telephone
01480 374748
Website
www.astreaernulf.org
Headteacher
Mr Thomas Fisher
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Astrea Academy Trust (26 schools)
Local authority
Cambridgeshire
Ward
St Neots Eynesbury
Constituency
St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2018 (fresh start)
URN
146369 · LAESTAB 8734014 · UKPRN 10081058
Formerly
Ernulf Academy

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from