Garden City Academy

Garden City Academy continues to perform well, maintaining its good status as a school. Pupils thrive in a positive and engaging environment where they are encouraged to achieve their best. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, contributing significantly to pupils' academic growth. Though the school has faced some challenges due to staffing changes, efforts have been made to keep educational quality on track, and achievements in reading and writing are improving. The school is recognized for its commitment to inclusivity and supporting children, particularly those with special educational needs, creating a community where every student can flourish.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate pride in their school and respond well to high expectations.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, focusing on improving literacy skills.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The school's commitment to promoting a love of reading is evident.
• Pupils actively engage in competitive student parliament elections.
• Positive relationships foster a supportive and encouraging environment.
• Extra-curricular experiences enhance learning and personal development.

Areas for Improvement

• Recent staffing changes have disrupted curriculum improvements.
• Some pupils struggle with regular attendance, impacting their learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Garden City Academy attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 7.6% of pupils at Garden City Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Garden City Academy had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 38.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 23.3% of pupils at Garden City Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Garden City Academy received £8,673 and spent £9,108 for each of its 165 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £37,000 (£228 per pupil).

Across all 65 schools of Reach2 Academy Trust, income was £7,346 and spending £7,105 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 Letchworth Garden City · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Garden City Academy is part of Reach2 Academy Trust, which runs 65 schools. The nearest others:

• Wilshere-Dacre Junior Academy Hitchin
• Pemberley Academy Harlow
• Water Lane Primary Academy Harlow
• Newhall Primary Academy Harlow
• Summerside Primary Academy London
• Chigwell Primary Academy Chigwell
• Chapel End Junior Academy London
• The Woodside Primary Academy London
• Green Ridge Primary Academy Aylesbury
• Concordia Academy Romford

What is Garden City Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Garden City Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Garden City Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Garden City Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Garden City Academy have?

Garden City Academy has 215 pupils on roll.

What age range does Garden City Academy cover?

Garden City Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Garden City Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Garden City Academy?

Garden City Academy is at Radburn Way, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 2JZ.