Meden School
78%
Capacity
1,064
Pupils
1.5x
Demand
About Meden School
Meden School’s Progress 8 score of 0.06 sits comfortably above the Nottinghamshire local authority average of -0.11 for secondary schools, meaning pupils here make slightly more academic progress than their peers across the county. That positive figure places the school 14th out of 46 similar schools in the LA, and second among the eight schools in Mansfield specifically. It’s a solid, above-average performance in a region where the typical school is running a negative Progress 8 score, and it suggests Meden is doing something right with its teaching and support. The school is also oversubscribed — 280 applications for 186 places in 2025/26, with 175 first-preference offers — which reflects its standing locally. With 36.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is significantly more disadvantaged than the national average, making the positive Progress 8 score all the more notable.
At GCSE, Meden’s Attainment 8 score of 40.6 means the average pupil achieves just over a grade 5 across their best eight subjects, and 52.8% secure a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. The school’s strongest Progress 8 components are maths (+0.16) and the EBacc subjects (+0.17), while English drags slightly behind at -0.21. Only 5.1% of pupils enter the EBacc combination, which is low, and the EBacc average point score of 3.38 reflects a narrow academic breadth. In the sixth form, 46 students take A-levels and achieve an average grade of C per entry, with a value-added score of -0.01 — bang in line with expectations. The best three A-levels average out at a C+ grade, and 16% of entries are at AAB or higher. Ofsted rated the school Good across all categories in its June 2023 inspection, a repeat of its 2014 Good rating, with behaviour, personal development, and leadership all judged Good.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is strong, with swimming, rugby, cricket, martial arts, and hockey among the options, and extracurricular clubs include DofE, Model UN, orchestra, and eco club. SEND support is well-developed, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, SEMH, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder — which is reassuring for families whose children need additional help. Meden is a good fit for families in Mansfield and the surrounding area who want a well-regarded, oversubscribed state secondary with a positive progress record, a decent sixth form, and strong pastoral and SEND infrastructure. It’s not an elite academic powerhouse, but it delivers reliably above-average outcomes for a diverse and disadvantaged intake.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Burns Lane, Mansfield, Mansfield, NG20 0QN |
| Headteacher | Simon Morton |
| Local Authority | Nottinghamshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,064 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 36.6% |
| School Capacity | 1,064 / 1,356 (78% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
27 Jun 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 10 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.06)
1382nd of 3,141
Nationally
106th of 273
In East Midlands
2nd of 8
In Mansfield
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
38.5
'22/23
29.4
'23/24
30.9
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2316%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 128 pupils).
- FE college64%
- School sixth form (stay)16%
- Not sustained10%
- Employment5%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Sixth form college1%
90% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2373%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 22 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
14%
Russell Group
14%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)73%
- Employment14%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Not sustained5%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Chemistry8
- Geography7
- History7
- Mathematics7
- Psychology7
- Sociology6
- Biology5
- English Literature4
- Physics3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed186
280
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
175 families put this school as their 1st choice (63% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: medenschool.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British97.2%
- White (other)0.8%
- Black0.7%
- Asian0.6%
- Mixed0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
5
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Meden School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Burns Lane, Mansfield
Mansfield, NG20 0QN
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
