Medeshamstede Academy

Medeshamstede Academy is a special school for pupils with autism, all of whom have an EHC plan, and it is part of Greenwood Academies Trust. Since the previous inspection the school has made significant improvements, particularly in behaviour, attendance and preparing pupils for life beyond school. Pupils benefit from warm relationships, tailored social and emotional support, a calm and purposeful environment, and practical opportunities such as work experience, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and forest activities. Leadership is strong, staff are proud to work at the school, and trust support has helped drive improvement. The main area for further work is the quality of education. Teaching and curriculum delivery are not consistently strong across the school, and some pupils do not learn as well as they should. Assessment information is not always used effectively to adapt activities and meet pupils’ needs, and misconceptions can sometimes go unnoticed. Reading and phonics are taught well, including effective catch-up support for older pupils who find reading difficult, and pupils’ personal development and behaviour are good. Inspectors also noted that the early years phase was not graded because there were very few children on roll at the time of inspection. Overall, the school is improving and has clear plans for further development, but inconsistencies in curriculum implementation and assessment use mean some pupils still do not receive the quality of education they need.

Strengths

• Warm relationships between staff and pupils are a cornerstone of the school.
• Pupils are valued as individuals and receive well-tailored social and emotional support.
• The school is a calm and purposeful place where pupils behave well.
• The youngest children receive the support they need as they start school.
• Older pupils benefit from work experience and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.
• The forest area provides rich opportunities for pupils to take well-calculated risks.
• Phonics is taught well by well-trained staff.
• Older pupils who find reading difficult receive highly effective catch-up support.
• Attendance is good, and the school follows up quickly when pupils miss too much school.
• The PSHE curriculum is well considered and helps pupils understand themselves and others.
• Older pupils receive useful careers information and many move on to college courses.
• Trustees, trust leaders and school leaders work in harmony to bring about improvement.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and receive increasingly useful training.

Areas for Improvement

• The teaching of the curriculum is not delivered consistently well across the school.
• Some pupils do not learn the important knowledge and skills they need for their next steps.
• Staff do not always have the subject knowledge and skills needed to deliver the curriculum well to all pupils.
• Assessment information is not always used effectively to design learning activities.
• Curriculum adaptations are not always made for pupils who need them.
• Some pupils develop misconceptions that are missed and not addressed.
• Not all pupils receive the quality of education they should.

In 2024–25 pupils at Medeshamstede Academy attended 87.5% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 40.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 5.3% of pupils at Medeshamstede Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Medeshamstede Academy had 6.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Medeshamstede Academy had 114 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: autistic spectrum disorder.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Medeshamstede Academy received £28,054 and spent £26,883 for each of its 114 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £767,000 (£6,725 per pupil).

Across all 37 schools of Greenwood Academies Trust, income was £8,670 and spending £8,578 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Peterborough · Peterborough local authority: places and applications

Medeshamstede Academy is part of Greenwood Academies Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• City of Peterborough Academy Peterborough
• Newark Hill Academy Peterborough
• Dogsthorpe Academy Peterborough
• Welland Academy Peterborough
• Bishop Creighton Academy Peterborough
• Stanground Academy Peterborough
• Studfall Infant Academy Corby
• Studfall Junior Academy Corby
• Corby Primary Academy Corby
• Hazel Leys Academy Corby

What is Medeshamstede Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Medeshamstede Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Medeshamstede Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Medeshamstede Academy was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Medeshamstede Academy have?

Medeshamstede Academy has 114 pupils on roll.

What age range does Medeshamstede Academy cover?

Medeshamstede Academy for pupils aged 4 to 16.

What are Medeshamstede Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Medeshamstede Academy?

Medeshamstede Academy is at Reeves Way, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 5LQ.