The Netherhall School

  • Secondary
  • Academy
  • Ages 11 to 18
Ofsted: Good

Queen Edith's Way, Cambridge, CB1 8NNOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

The Netherhall School is a secondary school in Cambridge for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 309 schools in Cambridgeshire. It ranks 16th of 17 secondary schools in Cambridge. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in October 2018.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 16 October 2018, report published 11 November 2018

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 5 March 2024

At The Netherhall School, pupils learn how to lead happy, successful, and fulfilling lives. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Leaders set high standards for all. Pupils and students in the sixth form step up to this challenge. They consistently achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the programmes implemented specifically to meet their needs. The house system underpins the strong pastoral care available to pupils. Pupils trust adults and feel safe. There are high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Most pupils behave well but attendance is not always sufficiently high. A small number of pupils do not always show sufficient respect for others. Pupils welcome the many leadership responsibilities that they can take on. Pupils' personal development is a cornerstone of life at the school. Pupils have an influential voice, for example, through the Netherhall anti-bullying committee and through their involvement in the redesign of toilet facilities. Leaders understand the barriers that might stop some pupils from accessing after-school clubs. They work to address these effectively. The most disadvantaged pupils consistently benefit from the wide range of opportunities provided by the school.

What the school should improve

  • Some curriculum plans are not precise enough. This means that teachers do not always know which precise concepts or knowledge they should prioritise in lessons. As a result, pupils do not always have a clear understanding of the key concepts they need to learn in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans set out more clearly the knowledge pupils are expected to learn over time.
  • The attendance of some pupils is too low. These pupils do not routinely benefit from the strong academic and pastoral support the school provides. When they are in school, they do not always meet the school's expectations for behaviour. With trust support, school leaders should continue to prioritise and implement their planned actions to improve attendance for all pupils.

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

178 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score45.5

45.5, 0.6 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths38.8%

38.8%, 6.6 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths57.3%

57.3%, 7.5 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc34.3%

34.3%, 6.2 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score4.17

4.17, 0.08 above the England average of 4.09.

A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25

111 students

Average point score per A level entry27.58

27.58, 7.42 below the England average of 35.00.

Average A level grade C-, England average B-

Pupil numbers and mix

1,259 pupils on roll, with places for 1,500

Eligible for free school meals28.8%

28.8%, 2.3 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language22.8%

22.8%, 1.2 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support11.9%

11.9%, 2.9 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.2%

4.2%, 1.8 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near The Netherhall School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
St Bede's Inter-Church School0.7 milesOfsted: OutstandingAttainment 8: 61.6
Coleridge Community College1 mileOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 55.1
Cambridge Muslim Secondary School1 mileReport card: Expected standardNot published
The Perse School1 mileNo Ofsted inspectionAttainment 8: 82.9
Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology1 mileOfsted: GoodAttainment 8: 56.8

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
ANGLIAN LEARNING
Age range
11 to 18
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
Yes
Headteacher
Mr Christopher Tooley
Address
Queen Edith's Way, Cambridge, CB1 8NN
Local authority
Cambridgeshire
URN
142035

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.