This schoolOther secondary schools in Bedford
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Outstanding | Good | Requires improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of education | Outstanding | |||
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding | |||
| Personal development | Outstanding | |||
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
Inspection history
- 24 April 2025Ungraded inspection: Standards maintained
- 15 January 2020Graded inspection: Outstanding
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 entry434 applications · 109 places offered · 168 named it first
- 2026 4.0; Bedford median median 1.8
- 2025 3.5; Bedford median median 1.5
- 2024 3.6; Bedford median median 1.5
- 2023 4.0; Bedford median median 1.4
- 2022 3.7; Bedford median median 1.7
- 2021 4.2; Bedford median median 1.7
- 2020 3.4; Bedford median median 1.9
- 2019 2.9; Bedford median median 1.7
- 2018 1.7; Bedford median median 1.6
- 2017 1.6; Bedford median median 1.6
- 2016 1.0; Bedford median median 1.5
- 2015 1.3; Bedford median median 1.3
- 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 | 109 | 434 | 4.0 | 168 | 1.54 |
| Sep 2025 | 108 | 376 | 3.5 | 190 | 1.76 |
| Sep 2024 | 99 | 358 | 3.6 | 189 | 1.91 |
| Sep 2023 | 96 | 381 | 4.0 | 209 | 2.18 |
| Sep 2022 | 111 | 411 | 3.7 | 223 | 2.01 |
| Sep 2021 | 93 | 390 | 4.2 | 210 | 2.26 |
| Sep 2020 | 98 | 335 | 3.4 | 182 | 1.86 |
| Sep 2019 | 120 | 346 | 2.9 | 189 | 1.58 |
| Sep 2018 | 119 | 205 | 1.7 | 117 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2017 | 129 | 202 | 1.6 | 127 | 0.98 |
| Sep 2016 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1.00 |
| Sep 2015 | 3 | 4 | 1.3 | 2 | 0.67 |
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.) | 103 | 51.0 | 58% | 68% | – |
| 2024/25 | 98 | 46.5 | 37% | 62% | – |
| 2023/24 | 98 | 52.7 | 54% | 75% | +1.11 |
| 2022/23 | 95 | 51.0 | 48% | 72% | +0.99 |
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
- Bedford Free SchoolThis schoolThis schoolStandards maintained20254.0applications per place 51.0Attainment 8
- 1.2 km · Bedford2026
- 1.8 km · BedfordGood20232.5applications per place 44.4Attainment 8
- 2.1 km · Bedford20263.1applications per place 52.0Attainment 8
- 2.1 km · BedfordStandards maintained20242.5applications per place 40.3Attainment 8
- 2.4 km · BedfordGraded · no overall grade20251.9applications per place 46.1Attainment 8
- 3.3 km · BedfordGood20231.8applications per place 41.0Attainment 8
- 3.7 km · Bedford20252.3applications per place 40.7Attainment 8
- 3.8 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
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 138228 · 822/4001
- Trust
- Advantage Schools
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 500 pupils · 536 on roll
- Free school meals
- 29.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 September 2012
- Address
- Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AD
- Local authority
- Bedford
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources