Lincroft Academy
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Lincroft Academy is a converter academy in Bedford for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 923 pupils and room for 1,000. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 63 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.
Station Road, Oakley, Bedford, MK43 7RE01234 822147lincroft.academyMs Emma Appadoo head of lincroft schoolAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 3 December 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
189 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 | 2017 | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 189 | 204 | 189 | 176 | 6 | 5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 45.0 | 51.4 | 47.5 | 55.0 | 27.8 | – | 45.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.40 | +0.31 | +0.41 | -1.34 | – | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 48% | 59% | 49% | 67% | 17% | – | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 73% | 81% | 72% | 82% | 50% | – | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.98 | 4.44 | 4.20 | 4.75 | 2.50 | – | 3.95 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 34% | 21% | 31% | 32% | 0% | – | 37% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 35.7 | 40.4 | 32.8 | 41.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 46.9 | 53.0 | 49.3 | 56.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 34.4 | 30.2 | 36.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 67.4 | 67.3 | 73.1 | – | – | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 22 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: Dance (27% here, 58% across England), Chemistry (56% here, 81% across England), Physical Education (33% here, 56% across England), Design & Technology (27% 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 | 186 | 20% | 61% | 81% | 53% | 889 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 186 | 7% | 50% | 75% | 54% | 1,788 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 184 | 7% | 48% | 70% | 58% | 2,150 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 106 | 2% | 19% | 51% | 36% | 2,680 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 102 | 18% | 46% | 72% | 51% | 1,669 of 3,116 |
| History | 87 | 9% | 43% | 55% | 52% | 2,076 of 3,126 |
| Biology | 77 | 14% | 61% | 87% | 82% | 2,228 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 73 | 30% | 67% | 86% | 82% | 2,039 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 73 | 21% | 56% | 89% | 81% | 2,262 of 2,537 |
| Physical Education | 54 | 6% | 33% | 67% | 56% | 1,293 of 1,559 |
| Business | 49 | 20% | 67% | 76% | 51% | 347 of 1,806 |
| Social Studies | 48 | 6% | 48% | 63% | 54% | 652 of 1,043 |
| Art and Design | 47 | 15% | 53% | 77% | 58% | 1,689 of 2,818 |
| Design & Technology | 37 | 8% | 27% | 49% | 50% | 1,220 of 1,478 |
| Computer Science | 30 | 17% | 43% | 57% | 56% | 1,262 of 1,861 |
| Media / Film / TV | 27 | 11% | 33% | 59% | 55% | 503 of 580 |
| German | 27 | 15% | 67% | 78% | 63% | 271 of 571 |
| Spanish | 23 | 35% | 48% | 48% | 54% | 1,224 of 1,941 |
| Dance | 22 | 5% | 27% | 50% | 58% | 67 of 74 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 20 | 15% | 40% | 60% | 52% | 761 of 1,098 |
| French | 13 | 15% | 69% | 69% | 60% | – |
| Drama | 12 | 33% | 42% | 42% | 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
2 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 2 | 226 | 214 | 212 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | – | 57% | 70% | 46% | 57% | 67% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | – | 9% | 12% | 1% | 6% | 11% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | – | 104.0 | 106.0 | 103.0 | 103.2 | 104.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | – | 102.0 | 105.0 | 100.0 | 103.5 | 105.0 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | – | 105.0 | 107.0 | 102.0 | 104.8 | 106.3 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | – | 73% | 80% | 71% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | – | 66% | 80% | 56% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | – | 85% | 79% | 67% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | -2.3 | -1.2 | -1.6 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | -3.3 | -1.9 | -4.7 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | 39% | 42% | 35% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | 59% | 73% | 49% | – | – |
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. 1 of the 3 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
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.
About 98 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
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.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 27 pupils, for autism.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Bedford with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (53), emotional and mental health (29), Specific learning difficulty (26), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (21), Moderate learning difficulty (12), language and communications needs (9).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 923 | 931 | 959 | 1,007 | 993 | 945 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 14% | 14% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 10% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 9% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 7% | 10% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 9% | 10% | 8% | 8% | 9% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 6% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 5% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.2% 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 | 7.9% | 8.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% | 4.1% | 4.5% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.0% | 6.1% | 6.8% | 6.7% | 3.6% | 3.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.5% | 0.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 21.8% | 24.7% | 26.1% | 24.7% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 21.1 | 23.2 | 24.2 | 11.5 | 4.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 189 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 90%, compared with 99% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 98% | 95% | 95% | 99% |
| Education | 95% | 92% | 88% | 92% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Work | 2% | 2% | 4% | 3% |
| Not in education, work or training | 2% | 4% | 4% | 1% |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biddenham International School and Sports College | Foundation | 2.4 miles | 1,422 | Not inspected | 39 | Compare |
| St Thomas More Catholic School | Academy | 2.5 miles | 893 | Good 2023 | 55 | Compare |
| Bedford Free School | Free school | 3.4 miles | 536 | Outstanding 2020 | 81 | Compare |
| Castle Newnham School | Academy | 3.5 miles | 624 | Report card 2026 | 64 | Compare |
| Goldington Academy | Academy | 3.7 miles | 958 | Report card 2026 | 92 | Compare |
| Mark Rutherford School | Academy | 3.7 miles | 1,150 | Report card 2025 | 39 | Compare |
| Sharnbrook Academy | Academy | 4.1 miles | 1,684 | No overall grade 2025 | 71 | Compare |
| Daubeney Academy | Academy | 4.1 miles | 576 | No overall grade 2025 | 62 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Lincroft Academy with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Lincroft Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bloomfield Academy | Academy | 12.0 miles | 962 | No overall grade 2025 | 93 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 63 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 63% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 53 to 71. 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% | in line | +0.05 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 189 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 1.8 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.15 | DfE progress measure; 189 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.10 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.02 | 2024/25; 973 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.02 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 189 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well above | +0.06 | 189 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 Lincroft Academy a good school?
It is about average. Lincroft Academy scores 63 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 53 to 71, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Lincroft Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Lincroft Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 3 December 2024.
How good are Lincroft Academy's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 48% 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 45.0, 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 Lincroft Academy have?
923 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,000 places, so it is 92% full.
Is Lincroft Academy oversubscribed?
Probably not. 98 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Lincroft Academy?
Pupils were in school 92.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Lincroft Academy?
The average class had 24.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 8% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Lincroft Academy have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Lincroft Academy have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 98% 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
- Station Road, Oakley, Bedford, MK43 7RE
- Telephone
- 01234 822147
- Website
- www.lincroft.academy
- Head of Lincroft School
- Ms Emma Appadoo
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Meridian Trust (36 schools)
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Ward
- Clapham & Oakley
- Constituency
- North Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 February 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 136471 · LAESTAB 8225404 · UKPRN 10032989
- Formerly
- Lincroft 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.