Goldington Academy
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Goldington Academy is a converter academy in Bedford for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 958 pupils, 208 more than it has places for. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 92 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Haylands Way, Bedford, MK41 9BX01234 261516goldington.beds.sch.ukMr Francis Galbraith principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 12 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 February 2022 | S5 Inspection | Good |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
177 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 | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 177 | 173 | 154 | 152 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 54.3 | 54.1 | 54.3 | 54.8 | 45.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.85 | +0.88 | +0.74 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 64% | 64% | 69% | 61% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 88% | 81% | 84% | 83% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.97 | 5.03 | 5.00 | 5.06 | 3.95 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 57% | 61% | 61% | 58% | 37% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 46.8 | 41.7 | 44.9 | 48.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 56.9 | 56.9 | 57.2 | 56.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 35.7 | 35.1 | 40.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 77.2 | 70.0 | 73.4 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 20 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
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Design & Technology (25% here, 50% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 177 | 29% | 71% | 90% | 53% | 408 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 177 | 33% | 74% | 89% | 54% | 338 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 174 | 30% | 75% | 91% | 58% | 443 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 132 | 6% | 44% | 70% | 36% | 869 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 100 | 33% | 64% | 75% | 51% | 660 of 3,116 |
| French | 75 | 28% | 76% | 89% | 60% | 530 of 1,974 |
| History | 70 | 20% | 53% | 71% | 52% | 1,381 of 3,126 |
| Social Studies | 54 | 17% | 46% | 63% | 54% | 671 of 1,043 |
| Physics | 44 | 64% | 98% | 100% | 82% | 542 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 44 | 64% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 285 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 44 | 61% | 98% | 100% | 82% | 509 of 2,570 |
| Computer Science | 43 | 33% | 58% | 77% | 56% | 811 of 1,861 |
| Religious Studies | 34 | 44% | 88% | 94% | 60% | 157 of 1,825 |
| Design & Technology | 32 | 6% | 25% | 38% | 50% | 1,246 of 1,478 |
| Art and Design | 27 | 48% | 78% | 93% | 58% | 544 of 2,818 |
| Physical Education | 25 | 8% | 52% | 76% | 56% | 903 of 1,559 |
| Spanish | 18 | 17% | 61% | 72% | 54% | – |
| Music | 17 | 41% | 71% | 77% | 61% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 13 | 46% | 69% | 69% | 49% | – |
| Drama | 9 | 11% | 78% | 89% | 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.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2019
97 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 97 | 182 | 185 | 180 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 72% | 58% | 59% | 56% | 57% | 67% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 19% | 6% | 10% | 2% | 6% | 11% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 107.0 | 103.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 | 103.2 | 104.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 106.0 | 103.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | 103.5 | 105.0 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 107.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 | 105.0 | 104.8 | 106.3 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 84% | 72% | 70% | 64% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 90% | 70% | 71% | 68% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 82% | 75% | 78% | 81% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | -0.3 | -2.6 | -1.9 | -2.0 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | -1.4 | -2.3 | -3.4 | -2.1 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 50% | 33% | 38% | 25% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 75% | 66% | 65% | 63% | – | – |
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. 3 of the 7 gaps are 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
At the end of primary school, 2019
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
Admissions policy not published.
The school is full, with 126 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have grown by 13% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
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 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 (42), Specific learning difficulty (29), Autistic spectrum disorder (27), Moderate learning difficulty (18), language and communications needs (11), Physical disability (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 958 | 942 | 929 | 889 | 837 | 811 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 23% | 23% | 20% | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 16% | 18% | 21% | 22% | 23% | 24% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 11% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% 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 | 6.1% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.3% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.4% | 2.8% | 3.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.7% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 16.7% | 16.2% | 16.8% | 18.2% | 7.6% | 6.5% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 3.8 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 1.6 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 154 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 86%, compared with 98% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 95% | 91% | 95% | 94% |
| Education | 95% | 87% | 91% | 91% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Work | 1% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 4% | 7% | 3% | 4% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Newnham School | Academy | 850 m | 624 | Report card 2026 | 64 | Compare |
| Mark Rutherford School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,150 | Report card 2025 | 39 | Compare |
| Bedford Free School | Free school | 1.3 miles | 536 | Outstanding 2020 | 81 | Compare |
| St Thomas More Catholic School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 893 | Good 2023 | 55 | Compare |
| Bedford Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,480 | Good 2023 | 67 | Compare |
| Biddenham International School and Sports College | Foundation | 2.3 miles | 1,422 | Not inspected | 39 | Compare |
| Daubeney Academy | Academy | 2.7 miles | 576 | No overall grade 2025 | 62 | Compare |
| Kempston Academy | Academy | 3.7 miles | 773 | Not inspected | 43 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Goldington 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 92 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 92% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 88 to 94. 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% | above | +0.14 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 177 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | above | +0.17 | Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well above | +0.27 | DfE progress measure; 177 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.05 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.09 | 2024/25; 962 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.26 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 177 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.03 | 154 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 Goldington Academy a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Goldington Academy scores 92 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 88 to 94, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Goldington Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 12 May 2026 it rated teaching as strong, achievement as strong, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as strong.
How good are Goldington Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 64% 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 54.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Goldington Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2019, 72% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 67%. 19% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Goldington Academy have?
958 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 750 places, so it is 128% full.
Is Goldington Academy oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 126 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Goldington Academy?
Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Goldington Academy?
The average class had 26.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 36% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Goldington Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 95% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Haylands Way, Bedford, MK41 9BX
- Telephone
- 01234 261516
- Website
- www.goldington.beds.sch.uk
- Principal
- Mr Francis Galbraith
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Single-academy trust
- Goldington Academy Trust (1 schools)
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Ward
- De Parys
- Constituency
- Bedford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 136552 · LAESTAB 8224000 · UKPRN 10033281
- Formerly
- Goldington Middle 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.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2018/19.
- 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.
- 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.