Gothic Mede Academy

Gothic Mede Academy continues to demonstrate good performance, building upon its previous positive inspection results. Pupils exhibit pride in their school, showing motivation and confidence in their learning and behavior. The school provides a supportive environment that encourages responsibility and character development among students. There is a clear commitment from leadership to ensure a high-quality education, with a well-structured curriculum that facilitates logical knowledge progression across all subjects. However, while most pupils display good behavior, there are some inconsistencies in behavior management strategies among staff that lead to confusion for a few pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils are motivated and take pride in their education.
• The school provides ample opportunities for pupils to engage in learning beyond the classroom.
• Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for high-quality education.
• The curriculum is well-structured and effectively supports pupils' learning.
• Reading instruction is prioritized and well-planned, leading to effective phonics teaching.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in behavior management strategies among staff.
• Some pupils have difficulty making appropriate behavior choices.

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 Gothic Mede Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% 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, 3.5% of pupils at Gothic Mede 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 Gothic Mede Academy had 29.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 22.5% of pupils at Gothic Mede Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 12.0% 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 Gothic Mede Academy received £7,901 and spent £7,725 for each of its 268 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £256,000 (-£956 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, income was £7,313 and spending £7,140 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 Central Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

Gothic Mede Academy is part of Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Etonbury Academy Arlesey
• Pix Brook Academy Stotfold
• Samuel Whitbread Academy Shefford
• Langford Village Academy Biggleswade
• Robert Bloomfield Academy Shefford
• Campton Academy Shefford
• Gravenhurst Academy Bedford
• Lawnside Academy Biggleswade
• Castle Newnham School Bedford
• St Christophers Academy Dunstable

What is Gothic Mede Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gothic Mede Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Gothic Mede Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Gothic Mede Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Gothic Mede Academy have?

Gothic Mede Academy has 249 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gothic Mede Academy cover?

Gothic Mede Academy for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Gothic Mede Academy?

Gothic Mede Academy is at High Street, Arlesey, Bedfordshire, SG15 6SL.