Bedford Academy
similar schools
Bedford Academy is a sponsored academy in Bedford for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,480 pupils and room for 1,500. About 40 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 67 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Mile Road, Bedford, MK42 9TR01234 301500bedfordacademy.co.ukMr Chris Deller head teacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 21 March 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
217 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 217 | 206 | 205 | 180 | 210 | 195 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 42.8 | 43.4 | 38.8 | 40.5 | 44.5 | 46.2 | 45.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.43 | +0.00 | -0.33 | +0.38 | +0.33 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 38% | 35% | 29% | 32% | 28% | 37% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 58% | 55% | 50% | 52% | 45% | 54% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.83 | 3.82 | 3.39 | 3.39 | 3.07 | 3.22 | 3.95 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 48% | 49% | 36% | 22% | 7% | 4% | 37% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 39.4 | 40.0 | 33.4 | 33.3 | 39.1 | 41.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 44.8 | 45.1 | 41.2 | 44.6 | 47.3 | 48.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 32.8 | 28.8 | 29.4 | 27.2 | 28.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 57.7 | 62.1 | 61.9 | 64.1 | 59.8 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 15 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Geography (26% here, 51% across England), Computer Science (40% here, 56% across England), Combined Science (24% here, 36% across England), English Language (43% here, 54% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 211 | 14% | 43% | 59% | 54% | 2,343 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 210 | 15% | 48% | 69% | 58% | 2,203 of 3,202 |
| Mathematics | 209 | 19% | 46% | 64% | 53% | 1,966 of 3,211 |
| Combined Science | 147 | 1% | 24% | 37% | 36% | 2,354 of 3,084 |
| Spanish | 100 | 7% | 45% | 54% | 54% | 1,327 of 1,941 |
| Geography | 99 | 7% | 26% | 44% | 51% | 2,768 of 3,116 |
| History | 95 | 19% | 52% | 63% | 52% | 1,475 of 3,126 |
| Social Studies | 92 | 19% | 53% | 66% | 54% | 524 of 1,043 |
| Physics | 63 | 25% | 75% | 89% | 82% | 1,811 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 63 | 35% | 73% | 97% | 81% | 1,850 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 63 | 32% | 86% | 95% | 82% | 1,375 of 2,570 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 61 | 13% | 54% | 74% | 52% | 507 of 1,098 |
| Computer Science | 25 | 20% | 40% | 56% | 56% | 1,345 of 1,861 |
| Other Modern Languages | 21 | 76% | 81% | 81% | 49% | 100 of 454 |
| Religious Studies | 16 | 25% | 63% | 88% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
95 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 95 | 102 | 91 | 90 | 132 | 153 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 33.40 | 29.37 | 20.86 | 26.99 | 25.33 | 26.46 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C | D | C- | C- | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 33.50 | 32.12 | 21.92 | 31.21 | 29.00 | 32.35 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 10% | 9% | 0% | 9% | 20% | 6% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.36 | +0.22 | – | – | +0.01 | -0.15 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 31.73 | 30.30 | 27.92 | 31.26 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 97% | 97% | 100% | 100% | 95% | 93% |
A level subjects
10 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 94 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 9% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
The last child to get a place lived 2.3 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 2.3 miles from the school, under the catchment area rule. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 300 | 324 | 300 | 2.3 miles (catchment area) | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (81), Moderate learning difficulty (55), Specific learning difficulty (50), language and communications needs (29), Autistic spectrum disorder (25), Hearing impairment (5).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,480 | 1,375 | 1,332 | 1,309 | 1,264 | 1,197 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 39% | 35% | 31% | 30% | 29% | 28% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 39% | 40% | 39% | 41% | 39% | 39% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 12% | 11% | 8% | 4% | 2% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.6% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 10.1% | 7.4% | 6.7% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.7% | 4.8% | 5.8% | 7.0% | 5.2% | 4.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.8% | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 2.5% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 25.7% | 22.3% | 27.3% | 35.2% | 22.5% | 19.5% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 6.6 | 8.7 | 7.2 | 4.9 | 3.9 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 205 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 94%, compared with 90% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 91% | 90% | 90% | 96% |
| Education | 86% | 84% | 85% | 94% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 2% | 2% | – |
| Work | 4% | 3% | 3% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 4% | 7% | 8% | 4% |
After sixth form
Where the 88 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 75%, compared with 88% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 48% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 85% | 87% | 87% | – |
| Education | 51% | 42% | 68% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 9% | 3% | 0% |
| Work | 31% | 36% | 16% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 14% | 10% | 8% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Free School | Free school | 1.1 miles | 536 | Outstanding 2020 | 81 | Compare |
| Daubeney Academy | Academy | 1.4 miles | 576 | No overall grade 2025 | 62 | Compare |
| Castle Newnham School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 624 | Report card 2026 | 64 | Compare |
| Goldington Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 958 | Report card 2026 | 92 | Compare |
| Biddenham International School and Sports College | Foundation | 2.3 miles | 1,422 | Not inspected | 39 | Compare |
| Wixams Academy | Free school | 2.3 miles | 903 | Report card 2026 | 40 | Compare |
| Kempston Academy | Academy | 2.5 miles | 773 | Not inspected | 43 | Compare |
| Mark Rutherford School | Academy | 2.9 miles | 1,150 | Report card 2025 | 39 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Bedford Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 67 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 67% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 57 to 74. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | below | -0.13 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 217 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.13 | DfE progress measure; 217 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.17 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.00 | 2024/25; 1,228 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.07 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 217 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.01 | 205 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Bedford Academy a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Bedford Academy scores 67 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 57 to 74, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.
What is Bedford Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Bedford Academy good at its last full inspection on 21 March 2023.
How good are Bedford Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 38% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 42.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Bedford Academy have?
1,480 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,500 places, so it is 99% full.
Is Bedford Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 2.3 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Bedford Academy?
Pupils were in school 91.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 26% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Bedford Academy?
The average class had 23.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 20% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Bedford Academy have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 10 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Mile Road, Bedford, MK42 9TR
- Telephone
- 01234 301500
- Website
- bedfordacademy.co.uk
- Head Teacher
- Mr Chris Deller
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- HEART Academies Trust (6 schools)
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Ward
- Cauldwell
- Constituency
- Bedford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2010 (new provision)
- URN
- 136085 · LAESTAB 8226905 · UKPRN 10029936
- Formerly
- John Bunyan School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Bedford council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.