NeneGate, Peterborough

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades NeneGate on 6 areas: 3 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders ensure that pupils' individual needs are identified and assessed with precision."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders are knowledgeable and have a precise understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed an ambitious and effective personal development programme."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that pupils achieve well from their starting points."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of pupils' patterns of attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders understand the strengths in the curriculum well."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further strengthen the teaching of pupils' foundational writing knowledge, so that all pupils build securely on what they already know and achieve well across the curriculum"; "Leaders should continue to refine their work to reduce persistent absence further, so that all pupils have consistently high levels of attendance".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to NeneGate School. We are a Special School offering education for pupils aged 9 -16 with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH) identified as their primary need. We pride ourselves on a holistic and flexible approach to education, underpinned by consistent principles, which are reflected in our school pillars: Be Engaged, Be Ambitious, Be Resilient."

The nearest other special schools to NeneGate are Medeshamstede Academy (0.4 miles, Requires improvement); Marshfields School (1.2 miles, Good); The Beeches Independent School (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, selective); and Heltwate School (2.5 miles, Good).

NeneGate is one of 36 schools run by Meridian Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 10 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 80% to a further education college.

78.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (16%).

Almost every pupil at NeneGate has an education, health and care plan (69 of 69 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

NeneGate has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 16 places, 16 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Peterborough Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Flag Fen Road (near), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood NeneGate stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 616 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Peterborough (275), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, NeneGate issued 115 suspensions, 176.9 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.