Report card · inspected May 2026
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
This schoolOther secondary schools in Bedford
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion | Strong standard | ||||
| Curriculum and teaching | Strong standard | ||||
| Achievement | Strong standard | ||||
| Attendance and behaviour | Strong standard | ||||
| Personal development and wellbeing | Strong standard | ||||
| Early years | Does not apply to this school | ||||
| Post-16 provision | Does not apply to this school | ||||
| Leadership and governance | Strong standard | ||||
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
Inspection history
- 12 May 2026Report card · 6 Strong standard
- 1 February 2022Graded inspection: Good
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry556 applications · 182 places offered · 272 named it first
- 2026 3.1; Bedford median median 1.8
- 2025 2.8; Bedford median median 1.5
- 2024 2.8; Bedford median median 1.5
- 2023 2.2; Bedford median median 1.4
- 2022 2.2; Bedford median median 1.7
- 2021 1.9; Bedford median median 1.7
- 2020 1.9; Bedford median median 1.9
- 2019 2.4; Bedford median median 1.7
- 2018 4.7; Bedford median median 1.6
- This school
- Bedford median
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 182 | 556 | 3.1 | 272 | 1.49 |
| Sep 2025 | 180 | 498 | 2.8 | 303 | 1.68 |
| Sep 2024 | 186 | 524 | 2.8 | 318 | 1.71 |
| Sep 2023 | 186 | 412 | 2.2 | 238 | 1.28 |
| Sep 2022 | 186 | 405 | 2.2 | 223 | 1.20 |
| Sep 2021 | 184 | 348 | 1.9 | 199 | 1.08 |
| Sep 2020 | 172 | 331 | 1.9 | 163 | 0.95 |
| Sep 2019 | 78 | 186 | 2.4 | 71 | 0.91 |
| Sep 2018 | 18 | 84 | 4.7 | 15 | 0.83 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 191 | 52.0 | 60% | 75% | – |
| 2024/25 | 177 | 54.3 | 64% | 88% | – |
| 2023/24 | 173 | 54.1 | 64% | 81% | +0.85 |
| 2022/23 | 154 | 54.3 | 69% | 84% | +0.88 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Goldington AcademyThis schoolThis school20263.1applications per place 52.0Attainment 8
- 0.8 km · Bedford2026
- 1.8 km · Bedford20252.3applications per place 40.7Attainment 8
- 2.1 km · BedfordStandards maintained20254.0applications per place 51.0Attainment 8
- 2.3 km · BedfordGood20231.8applications per place 41.0Attainment 8
- 2.9 km · BedfordGood20232.5applications per place 44.4Attainment 8
- 3.7 km · BedfordStandards maintained20242.5applications per place 40.3Attainment 8
- 4.4 km · BedfordGraded · no overall grade20251.9applications per place 46.1Attainment 8
- 5.9 km · BedfordStandards maintained20241.8applications per place 38.4Attainment 8
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 136552 · 822/4000
- Trust
- Goldington Academy Trust
- Capacity
- 750 pupils · 958 on roll
- Free school meals
- 22.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 April 2011
- Replaced
- Goldington Middle School (URN 109642)
- Address
- Haylands Way, Bedford, MK41 9BX
- Local authority
- Bedford
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources