Gothic Mede Academy, Arlesey
Gothic Mede Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Arlesey, part of Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 80% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Gothic Mede Academy in detail
Gothic Mede Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Gothic Mede Academy is a values-based lower school for children aged 3 to 9 years old, and part of the Bedfordshire Schools Trust. Our learning, interactions and strengths are rooted in our school values of Compassion, Pride, Respect and Responsibility."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, gymnastics, multi-sports and dance.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Gothic Mede Academy
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put Gothic Mede Academy as their first choice and 50 named it as one of their preferences, for 35 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gothic Mede Academy are Fairfield Park Lower School (1.1 miles, Good); Roecroft Lower School (1.4 miles, Requires improvement); Derwent Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 89% reading, 94% maths); and Stonehill School (1.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 84% maths).
Fairfield Park Lower SchoolRoecroft Lower SchoolDerwent Primary SchoolStonehill School
The trust
Gothic Mede Academy is one of 12 schools run by Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
4.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (72%) and Mixed (14%).
In 2026, 56 pupils (22.5%) received SEN support and 30 (12%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Arlesey Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Community Centre (outside), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Gothic Mede Academy issued 27 suspensions, 9.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Gothic Mede Academy are Etonbury Academy (0.8 miles), Pix Brook Academy (1.3 miles) and Henlow Church of England Academy (1.7 miles).
Etonbury AcademyPix Brook AcademyHenlow Church of England Academy
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2017 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
25.3
Avg class size
24.2
Infant (KS1)
27.7
KS2
9
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Gothic Mede Academy
Open Evening 7th October
30 Sep 2026
Open Evening 8th July
7 Jul 2026
Come along to our Summer Fete
2 Jun 2026
Tea with the Head
16 Oct 2025
School Tours
13 Oct 2025
PFGM AGM 2025
4 Apr 2025
From Gothic Mede Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Gothic Mede Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Gothic Mede Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gothic Mede Academy is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Gothic Mede Academy
Will you get a place at Gothic Mede Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gothic Mede Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gothic Mede Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gothic Mede Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Gothic Mede Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Central Bedfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
80%
Available places
241 pupils
300 places
59 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Arlesey
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Arlesey
Across Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
4,158
Applications
3,678
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
30
EHC Plans
34.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
249
Total Pupils
133
Boys
116
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
17.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,220
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,171
Per pupil
£1503k
Total funding
£70k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
17.0%
Persistent absence
212
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Gothic Mede Academy
Questions parents ask about Gothic Mede Academy
What is Gothic Mede Academy's Ofsted rating?
Gothic Mede Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Gothic Mede Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Gothic Mede Academy is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Gothic Mede Academy?
Gothic Mede Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 300 places.
How big are the classes at Gothic Mede Academy?
Classes at Gothic Mede Academy average 25.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Gothic Mede Academy?
Gothic Mede Academy has around 249 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Gothic Mede Academy?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Gothic Mede Academy in 2024/25. 17% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Gothic Mede Academy?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Gothic Mede Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Gothic Mede Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Gothic Mede Academy?
Gothic Mede Academy is at High Street, Arlesey, Bedfordshire, SG15 6SL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)