School Chooser

Bedford Modern School

Independent · ages 7-18MixedIndependent (grammar)1,219 pupilsSixth formBedford
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Places81 spare1,219 pupils, 1,300 places
Average A level gradeB+2024/25
Pupils on roll1,219Census January 2024

Bedford Modern School is an independent school in Bedford for boys and girls aged 7 to 18. It has 1,219 pupils and room for 1,300.

Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7NT01234 332500bedmod.co.ukMr David Payne headteacherAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

148 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score31.3
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 28.028.020182019: 41.941.920192022: 31.531.520222023: 28.928.920232024: 28.628.620242025: 31.331.32025
Since 2018: +3.3
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018BedfordEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11148149136155145137
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 831.328.628.931.541.928.045.146.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%44%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score1.671.411.531.622.561.543.954.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%37%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 13 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.

Strongest subjects

Design & Technology100%grades 9 to 5, England 50%
Geography93%grades 9 to 5, England 51%
Art and Design100%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
English Literature97%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
What is taught hereOffers 4 languages, computer science, music, classics.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
97%England 58%
100%England 50%
Geography71 entries
93%England 51%
98%England 60%
Latin56 entries
95%England 82%
Spanish38 entries
92%England 54%
French35 entries
94%England 60%
Art and Design34 entries
100%England 58%
90%England 56%
90%England 56%
92%England 58%
German21 entries
100%England 63%
Music12 entries
100%England 61%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Literature14660%97%99%58%
Design & Technology7580%100%100%50%
Geography7176%93%97%51%
Religious Studies6271%98%100%60%
Latin5680%95%100%82%
Spanish3871%92%100%54%
French3569%94%100%60%
Art and Design3456%100%100%58%
Computer Science3148%90%94%56%
Physical Education2948%90%97%56%
Classical Civilisation2479%92%92%58%
German2186%100%100%63%
Music1267%100%100%61%

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

142 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB+42.6 points per entry
A level progress+0.13Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better26%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students142149154146276283
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry42.5544.1544.0049.0543.4442.50
Average A level gradeB+B+B+AB+B+
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS42.3144.4344.0349.3844.1140.56
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects26%35%29%48%36%27%
A level progressA level value added+0.13+0.22+0.31+0.28

A level subjects

21 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.

Strongest A levels

Design and Technology (Product Design)89%A* to B, England 38% · 18 entries
Logic / Philosophy92%A* to B, England 46% · 12 entries
Business Studies81%A* to B, England 47% · 21 entries
Biology80%A* to B, England 49% · 39 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics58Biology39Physics37Chemistry36Economics34Psychology30Government and Politics21Business Studies21Design and Technology (Product Design)18History16Physical Education / Sports Studies15Logic / Philosophy12English Language and Literature9Film Studies9English Literature8Classical Civilisation8Fine Art8Computer Science7Mathematics (Further)6Latin5Drama and Theatre Studies5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics58 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
71%England 60%
Biology39 entries · 46% A* or A · 100% passed
80%England 49%
Physics37 entries · 49% A* or A · 97% passed
62%England 51%
Chemistry36 entries · 50% A* or A · 97% passed
72%England 53%
Economics34 entries · 38% A* or A · 100% passed
79%England 57%
Psychology30 entries · 40% A* or A · 100% passed
70%England 46%
Government and Politics21 entries · 19% A* or A · 100% passed
71%England 55%
Business Studies21 entries · 43% A* or A · 100% passed
81%England 47%
Design and Technology (Product Design)18 entries · 67% A* or A · 100% passed
89%England 38%
History16 entries · 44% A* or A · 100% passed
69%England 55%
Physical Education / Sports Studies15 entries · 13% A* or A · 100% passed
53%England 41%
Logic / Philosophy12 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
92%England 46%
English Language and Literature9 entries · 56% A* or A · 100% passed
89%England 47%
Film Studies9 entries · 33% A* or A · 100% passed
89%England 57%
English Literature8 entries · 38% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 52%
Classical Civilisation8 entries · 50% A* or A · 100% passed
88%England 55%
Fine Art8 entries · 75% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 65%
Computer Science7 entries · 43% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 46%
Mathematics (Further)6 entries · 100% A* or A · 100% passed
100%England 76%
Latin5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 51%
Drama and Theatre Studies5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 54%

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. None of the gaps 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

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
29.832.8
Gap 3.0England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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

Grammar school. This is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Bedford council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll1,219Census January 2024
Places1,30094% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support18%223 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls659 / 560
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,2191,2521,2821,2881,2821,255
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%13%14%16%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 153 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training90%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training90%94%91%
Education70%75%78%
Apprenticeship4%2%2%
Work16%16%11%
Not in education, work or training7%4%4%

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m18112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate155 per 1,000 people70% higher than the England average
Typical house price£342,900Bedford
Nearest bus stop210 mBedford Modern School, 15 stops within 500 m

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 schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Edith Cavell Primary SchoolFoundation250 m292Good 202438Compare
Livingstone Primary SchoolFoundation610 m457Good 202340Compare
Bedford Greenacre Independent SchoolIndependent760 m775Not inspectedCompare
Great Ouse Primary AcademyFree school820 m455Report card 202664Compare
Polam SchoolIndependent870 m99Not inspectedCompare
Priory Primary SchoolFoundation0.8 miles214No overall grade 202427Compare
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-SchoolAcademy0.8 miles271Good 202314Compare
Bedford SchoolIndependent0.9 miles994Not inspectedCompare

Questions parents ask

Is Bedford Modern School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Bedford Modern School yet.

How good are Bedford Modern School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% 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 31.3, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Bedford Modern School have?

1,219 pupils aged 7 to 18 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 1,300 places, so it is 94% full.

Does Bedford Modern School have an entrance exam?

Yes. It is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test, usually sat in September of Year 6. Check the school's admissions page for the test dates and the pass mark.

Does Bedford Modern School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B+. 21 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
Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7NT
Telephone
01234 332500
Website
www.bedmod.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr David Payne
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 7-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Bedford
Ward
Harpur
Constituency
Bedford
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
30 September 1980
URN
109728 · LAESTAB 8226011 · UKPRN 10008094

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from