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Secondary schools in Bedford

All 25 secondary schools in Bedford.

25 schools in Bedford

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  1. Goldington Academy

    Bedford, MK41 9BX · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

    • Ofsted:Strong standard in every area

    Results well above the Bedford average, low absence.

    272 first choices, 182 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1652.0

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    6.1%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    958
    Pupils per teacher
    18.8
    View school Goldington Academy
  2. Bedford Free School

    Bedford, MK42 9AD · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

    • Ofsted:Outstanding

    Results above the Bedford average.

    168 first choices, 109 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1651.0

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    7.7%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    536
    Pupils per teacher
    14.5
    View school Bedford Free School
  3. Sharnbrook Academy

    Bedford, MK44 1JL · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

    • Ofsted:Good or better
    • Has a sixth form

    Results above the Bedford average.

    235 first choices, 246 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1647.7

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    7.9%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    1,684
    Pupils per teacher
    20.2
    View school Sharnbrook Academy
  4. Lincroft Academy

    Bedford, MK43 7RE · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

    • Ofsted:Good in every area

    Results above the Bedford average.

    154 first choices, 164 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1650.4

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    7.9%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    923
    Pupils per teacher
    16.7
    View school Lincroft Academy
  5. Castle Newnham School

    Bedford, MK40 3EP · Academy · All-through · Ages 4 to 16

    • Ofsted:Expected standard in every area

    Results above the England average, low absence.

    69 first choices, 88 offers made

    Met the standard at 1167%

    England 62%

    Days missed
    4.6%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    624
    Pupils per teacher
    24.7
    View school Castle Newnham School
  6. Daubeney Academy

    Bedford, MK42 7PS · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

    • Ofsted:Good or better

    Results close to the Bedford average, low absence.

    95 first choices, 111 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1646.1

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    6.8%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    576
    Pupils per teacher
    18.2
    View school Daubeney Academy
  7. Wootton Academy

    Bedford, MK43 9HT · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

    • Ofsted:Good in every area
    • Has a sixth form

    Results close to the Bedford average, high absence.

    192 first choices, 201 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1644.8

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    9.3%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    822
    Pupils per teacher
    13.0
    View school Wootton Academy
  8. St Thomas More Catholic School

    Bedford, MK41 7UL · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

    • Ofsted:Good
    • Catholic
    • Has a sixth form

    Results below the Bedford average, high absence.

    92 first choices, 108 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1641.0

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    10.2%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    893
    Pupils per teacher
    15.8
    View school St Thomas More Catholic School
  9. Wixams Academy

    Bedford, MK42 6BA · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

    • Ofsted:Needs attention in 2 areas
    • Has a sixth form

    Results close to the Bedford average, high absence.

    154 first choices, 167 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1643.9

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    9.9%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    903
    Pupils per teacher
    15.9
    View school Wixams Academy
  10. Mark Rutherford School

    Bedford, MK41 8PX · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

    • Ofsted:Needs attention in 1 area
    • Has a sixth form

    Results below the Bedford average.

    154 first choices, 186 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1640.7

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    9.1%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    1,150
    Pupils per teacher
    14.7
    View school Mark Rutherford School
  11. Bedford Academy

    Bedford, MK42 9TR · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

    • Ofsted:Good
    • Has a sixth form

    Results close to the Bedford average.

    285 first choices, 293 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1644.4

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    8.6%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    1,480
    Pupils per teacher
    17.1
    View school Bedford Academy
  12. Kempston Academy

    Bedford, MK42 7EB · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

    • Ofsted:Good
    • Has a sixth form

    Results below the Bedford average.

    105 first choices, 118 offers made

    Attainment 8 at 1638.4

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    8.7%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    773
    Pupils per teacher
    16.0
    View school Kempston Academy
  13. Marston Vale Middle School

    Bedford, MK43 9NH · Academy · Middle · Ages 9 to 13

    • Ofsted:Good in every area

    Results well below the England average, low absence.

    Met the standard at 1154%

    England 62%

    Days missed
    6.4%Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    563
    Pupils per teacher
    18.2
    View school Marston Vale Middle School
  14. Grange Academy

    Bedford, MK42 8AU · Academy · All-through · Ages 5 to 18

    • Ofsted:Expected standard or better
    • Has a sixth form

    Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    5.6%
    Pupils
    161
    Pupils per teacher
    10.1
    View school Grange Academy
  15. Greys Education Centre

    Bedford, MK42 7AB · Academy · All-through · Ages 5 to 16

    • Ofsted:Good

    Short-stay provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    –
    Pupils
    57
    Pupils per teacher
    3.9
    View school Greys Education Centre
  16. KWS School

    Bedford, MK41 9TJ · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

    • Ofsted:Expected standard in every area
    • Has a sixth form

    Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    –Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    18
    Pupils per teacher
    –
    View school KWS School
  17. Ridgeway School

    Bedford, MK42 7EB · Special · All-through · Ages 2 to 19

    • Ofsted:Good
    • Has a nursery
    • Has a sixth form

    Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    12.9%
    Pupils
    125
    Pupils per teacher
    8.6
    View school Ridgeway School
  18. St John's School

    Bedford, MK42 8AA · Academy · All-through · Ages 2 to 19

    • Ofsted:Good
    • Has a nursery
    • Has a sixth form

    Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

    1 first choice, 1 offer made

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    8.6%
    Pupils
    178
    Pupils per teacher
    7.7
    View school St John's School
  19. Bedford Girls' School

    Bedford, MK42 0BX · Independent · All-through · Ages 7 to 18 · Girls

    • ISI:Inspected
    • Girls
    • Has a sixth form

    Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    –Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    843
    Pupils per teacher
    –
    View school Bedford Girls' School
  20. Bedford Greenacre Independent School

    Bedford, MK41 7FZ · Independent · All-through · Ages 0 to 18

    • ISI:Inspected
    • Has a nursery
    • Has a sixth form

    Independent school. Results above the Bedford average.

    Attainment 8 at 1647.7

    Bedford 44.1England 46.2

    Days missed
    –Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    775
    Pupils per teacher
    –
    View school Bedford Greenacre Independent School
  21. Bedford Modern School

    Bedford, MK41 7NT · Independent · All-through · Ages 7 to 18

    • ISI:Inspected
    • Faith school
    • Grammar
    • Has a sixth form

    Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    –Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    1,219
    Pupils per teacher
    –
    View school Bedford Modern School
  22. Bedford School

    Bedford, MK40 2TU · Independent · All-through · Ages 7 to 19 · Boys

    • ISI:Inspected
    • Church of England
    • Boys
    • Has a sixth form

    Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

    Results

    Not published for this kind of school.

    Days missed
    –Bedford 8.2%
    Pupils
    994
    Pupils per teacher
    –
    View school Bedford School
The big picture

How Bedford's secondary schools spread out

Each dot is one school. Hover over a dot to see which school it is.

Attainment 8 at 16

Average score across each pupil's best eight GCSEs.

Bedford 44.1England 46.2Kempston Academy: 38.4Biddenham International School and Sports College: 40.3Mark Rutherford School: 40.7St Thomas More Catholic School: 41Wixams Academy: 43.9Bedford Academy: 44.4Wootton Academy: 44.8Daubeney Academy: 46.1Bedford Greenacre Independent School: 47.7Sharnbrook Academy: 47.7Lincroft Academy: 50.4Bedford Free School: 51Goldington Academy: 52020406080
Secondary schools in Bedford

Days missed

Share of school sessions pupils missed, for any reason. Lower is better.

Bedford average 8.1%Castle Newnham School: 4.6%Grange Academy: 5.6%Goldington Academy: 6.1%Marston Vale Middle School: 6.4%Daubeney Academy: 6.8%Rivertree Free School: 7.5%Bedford Free School: 7.7%Sharnbrook Academy: 7.9%Lincroft Academy: 7.9%Bedford Academy: 8.6%St John's School: 8.6%Kempston Academy: 8.7%Biddenham International School and Sports College: 8.8%Mark Rutherford School: 9.1%Wootton Academy: 9.3%Wixams Academy: 9.9%St Thomas More Catholic School: 10.2%Ridgeway School: 12.9%0%4%8%12%16%
Secondary schools in Bedford

Ofsted grades in Bedford

The last full grade for each school Ofsted has graded. 20 newer or converted schools don't have a grade yet.

  • Outstanding: 1 of 5
  • Good: 4 of 5
  • Requires improvement: 0 of 5
  • Inadequate: 0 of 5
Before you apply

Four things worth knowing in Bedford

  1. Some are faith schools.

    3 of the 25 secondary schools in Bedford have a religious character. When they're full, they can put families of their faith first, so check each school's rules.

    Show schools with no religious character
  2. Apply by 31 October.

    Apply to your council in Year 6 for a Year 7 place. Offers come out on 1 March.

  3. Check how old the Ofsted grade is.

    Some grades are many years old. Each school's page shows the date of its last inspection and what's changed since.

    Show Good or Outstanding
  4. List a school you're likely to get.

    Popular schools fill up from the families who live closest. Add your postcode to see which schools are nearest, and put one of them on your form.

    Add my postcode
About these schools

Secondary schools in Bedford, explained

There are 25 secondary schools in Bedford, teaching 17,813 children. 1 are run by the council and 17 are academies or free schools. Among them are 5 special and 6 independent schools.

100% of the mainstream state schools Ofsted has graded are Good or Outstanding, against 94.8% across England. 1 of them is Outstanding, though some grades are several years old, so check the date on each school's page.

Pupils in Bedford scored an average Attainment 8 of 44.1 across their best eight GCSEs, against 46.2 across England.

25.5% of pupils get free school meals. Schools here spend £8,422 a year on each pupil, against £8,120 across England. 23.9% of pupils are persistently absent, missing one day in ten or more, against 18.1% across England.

Looking further afield? See secondary schools near me, or everything in Bedford.

Questions

Questions parents ask

How many secondary schools are in Bedford?
There are 25 secondary schools in Bedford, including state-funded, academies, and independent schools.
What are the best secondary schools in Bedford?
The highest-ranked secondary schools in Bedford on Eduscope are Goldington Academy, Bedford Free School and Sharnbrook Academy. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance.
How many Ofsted Outstanding secondary schools are in Bedford?
Bedford has 1 secondary schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted. A further 4 are rated Good, meaning 100% of inspected schools hold a Good or Outstanding rating.
How are secondary schools in Bedford ranked on Eduscope?
Each state school gets a rank score out of 100. We place each measure as a percentile among state schools of the same phase across England, then weight them. Primary schools: latest Ofsted inspection 30%, pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 30%, pupils reaching the higher standard 10%, persistent absence (lower is better) 20%, average reading and maths scores 10%. Secondary schools: latest Ofsted inspection 25%, Attainment 8 25%, grade 5 or above in English and maths 15%, persistent absence (lower is better) 15%, pupils staying in education or work after GCSEs 10%, A level average points (sixth forms only) 10%. Results are averaged over up to three years, and an Ofsted grade older than five years counts for less. A school needs data for at least 60% of the weights. Special schools, pupil referral units, nurseries, independent schools and 16 to 19 schools aren't ranked, and are listed by Ofsted grade and name. Our methodology page explains more.
What is the average class size in Bedford secondary schools?
The average pupil-teacher ratio across secondary schools in Bedford is 16:1. While this is not a direct measure of class size, it indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil.
How do I choose a secondary school in Bedford?
When choosing a secondary school in Bedford, consider Ofsted ratings, GCSE results (Progress 8 and Attainment 8), sixth form provision, and the school's specialisms. You can compare all 25 secondary schools on Eduscope using filters for school type, gender, and admissions policy.

Sources: Department for Education school performance tables, school census and workforce data, Get Information About Schools and Ofsted. Distances are straight-line estimates.

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