Cambourne Village College

Inspection of Cambourne Village College Sheepfold Lane, Cambourne, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB23 6FR

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The principal of this school is Lynn Mayes. This school is part of The CAM academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Claire Heald, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sue Williamson. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Cambourne Village College has created a culture where difference is not just valued but celebrated. Pupils are highly supportive of their peers and are excellent ambassadors, keen to contribute to the wider life of the school. Pupils, leaders and teachers work together to create a feeling of community, where pupils are confident to ‘be who they want to be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school equips pupils with the ambition and skills to ‘pursue their dreams’. This culture of aspiration enables pupils not only to achieve strong academic outcomes, but also helps them to build independence, character and confidence superbly. The school considers and meets the needs of the pupils. They thrive as a result.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know their pupils incredibly well. They are meticulous in providing precise support so that pupils achieve highly. Teachers’ passion for, and knowledge of, their subjects is clear to see. As a result, pupils are immersed in an environment which cultivates their interest and curiosity. This gives pupils the best chances of achieving excellent academic success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils demonstrate excellent behaviour throughout the school. Their conduct reflects the school’s ethos of respect. The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ well-being and safety. Pupils benefit from this highly nurturing environment where they can flourish.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school offers a rich and broad curriculum that inspires pupils at every stage of their education. Staff expertly navigate pupils through these stages, guiding them through a diverse range of subjects, opportunities and experiences. The introduction of the school’s sixth form enables this journey to continue into key stage 5, where an impressive selection of subjects is available.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff are astute at identifying and meeting pupils’ needs. They apply effective strategies to support them and adapt tasks skilfully, so all pupils produce high-quality work. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers demonstrate a deep passion and knowledge for what they teach. Staff possess a wide range of skills and expertise and collaborate often, helping the team to be greater than the sum of its parts. This creates cohesion and consistency across different subject departments, ensuring all pupils experience a top-notch education. Staff benefit from high-quality professional development to further develop their teaching.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Enrichment activities are thoughtfully designed to complement the curriculum, inspiring and engaging pupils. Subject departments offer activities, trips and events that enhance their experience in the classroom to help consolidate learning. The school goes to great lengths to ensure all pupils can have access to these opportunities.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers ensure that pupils secure strong foundations in their subjects. This allows pupils to build on their knowledge and achieve high levels of expertise. Staff know that reading 11 and 12 March 2025

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is vital to pupils’ future success. The school quickly identifies any pupil who is not a fluent reader and gives them high-quality support, helping them to read well. Pupils’ confident and competent reading allows them to access the curriculum easily via texts and online resources.

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Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Staff have fair and consistently high expectations. Pupils demonstrate responsibility for their own actions and have helped to shape behaviour systems, wanting to play their part. They attend lessons on time, ready to learn and motivated to succeed. Pupils’ appreciation of one another is clear. They are polite, respectful and value the different opinions, beliefs and cultures of their peers. Older pupils work to support younger pupils by modelling positive behaviours and attitudes.

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This mutual respect and collaboration continues into the new sixth form, where students are working hard to establish a sense of community in this new provision. They have collaborated with leaders to ensure that their new ‘home’ feels part of the main school, while also allowing them to study in a more flexible and informal environment. Leaders have planned every part of the sixth-form experience carefully, crafting an offer that is ambitious and suited to the needs of students. The new key stage 5 curriculum has been connected expertly to the stage before. Students’ personal development is considered carefully, for example by providing useful careers guidance and support for university applications.

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The programme for pupils’ wider personal development is exceptional. The school produces a curriculum that reflects the changing demographic of the local area. Pupils are at the centre this offer. They feel their voice is valued and that they are making a difference. The ‘not just black or white’ committee is a shining example of this, championing diversity in the school. Committees, ambassadors and leadership groups studiously work to educate and help their peers, and know they are making a difference. Pupils learn things that are important to them like personal safety, respect and diversity.

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The trust, governing body and school leaders are unified in their ambition for this school. Collectively, they are experienced and extremely knowledgeable. They work with diligence and precision to ensure that the school is operating at its best. Staff feel very well supported by the development opportunities they receive. Their workload and well-being are considered well. Staff, therefore, can focus on providing high-quality education, support and experiences every day at Cambourne Village College.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 11 and 12 March 2025

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked-after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 March 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,380

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form

For academy CEO of the trust Claire Heald

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Website www.cambournevc.org Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 May 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Cambourne Village College is a member of The CAM Academy Trust.  The school currently uses three registered and four unregistered alternative provisions for pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements 11 and 12 March 2025

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(quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth-form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, art and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector met with the director of education, the chief executive officer and chair of the trust, and members of the local advisory board.  Inspectors held meetings with a range of school leaders, including those who are responsible for behaviour, safeguarding and pupils with special educational needs

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and/or disabilities.  An inspector met with early career teachers and staff involved in their induction.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school. Inspectors met with groups of pupils to discuss their lessons, behaviour, personal development and to discuss their safety.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of records relating to behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses and free-text responses received during the inspection to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Louise Cooper, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Dawes Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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