School profile

Sir Harry Smith Community College

Secondary · Academy converter · Peterborough, PE7 1XB

Requires improvement

Map showing Sir Harry Smith Community College

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,837 of 3,312

Worse than 85% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,824 of 2,536

Worse than 71% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Sir Harry Smith Community College Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 30 Sept 2025

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Requires improvement
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Sixth form provision
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,084
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Stephen Thornton
TrustASPIRE LEARNING TRUST (WHITTLESEY)
Local authorityCambridgeshire
Opened01 Apr 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138053.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolCambridgeshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.38.6, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire48.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.51.9%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire68.2%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.32.4%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire50.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.3.8%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire18.3%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths46.5%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire63.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4185--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolCambridgeshireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.29.97, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire37.3935
Average A-level gradeC--
Average points, best three A-levels29.69, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire37.9935.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC--
AAB or better3.8%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire22.9%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.15, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study64--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.c--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,084
Girls544
Boys540
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.26.5%
First language not English5.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,210
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.10.4%
Sixth form places2024/25160
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.173
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.50
Average class size21.7

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
84.8%
Other White
5.1%
African
1.7%
Other mixed
1.3%
White and Black Caribbean
1.2%
Indian
1.1%
White and Asian
0.7%
Other ethnic group
0.7%
White and Black African
0.6%
Gypsy/Roma
0.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher21.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.8
Teachers (FTE)50.34
Teaching assistants (FTE)24.17
Support staff (FTE)52.29
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2552.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2545.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.206
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.229
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.190
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.190
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)16

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolCambridgeshireEngland
Overall absence10.7%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.25.6%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire19.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.7%, worse than England, worse than Cambridgeshire4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate35.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions13.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.88.6%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.76.1%
Further education47.7%
School sixth form27.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9.1%
Apprenticeship7.4%
Employment5.1%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.82.8%
Higher education46.6%
Employment27.6%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.12.1%
Apprenticeship8.6%
Further education0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Sir Harry Smith Community College
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryAlderman Jacobs SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimaryNew Road Primary & Nursery SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.7 miPrimaryPark Lane Primary & Nursery SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Sir Harry Smith Community College

What is Sir Harry Smith Community College's Ofsted rating?

Sir Harry Smith Community College is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 30 Sept 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Sir Harry Smith Community College rank in England?

Sir Harry Smith Community College ranks 2,837 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 85% of schools) and 1,824 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 71% of schools).

What are Sir Harry Smith Community College's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 32.4% of pupils at Sir Harry Smith Community College got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 38.6 (England 46.2).

What are Sir Harry Smith Community College's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Sir Harry Smith Community College was C, and 3.8% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Sir Harry Smith Community College?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Sir Harry Smith Community College made 206 offers from 229 applications (1.1 per offer), and 190 of 190 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Sir Harry Smith Community College?

Sir Harry Smith Community College has 1,084 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Sir Harry Smith Community College?

Sir Harry Smith Community College had 1,210 school places in 2024/25.

Does Sir Harry Smith Community College have a sixth form?

Yes, Sir Harry Smith Community College has a sixth form with 160 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Sir Harry Smith Community College?

At Sir Harry Smith Community College, the average class had 21.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Sir Harry Smith Community College?

In 2025/26, pupils at Sir Harry Smith Community College missed 10.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 25.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.