School Chooser

Secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire

There are 27 secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire, teaching 23,393 pupils. Of the 25 with a score, 4 do better than similar schools elsewhere in England and 6 do worse.

Best in EnglandPrimary schools in Central BedfordshireAll schools in Central BedfordshirePlaces within
Pupils from low-income families17%average across these schools
Doing better than similar schools4 of 25scored schools in the top two bands
New-style Ofsted report cards4inspected since November 2025
Good or outstanding (old grades)16of those still on old grades
Full or nearly full11 of 26schools with 98% or more of places taken
Average class size24.3one-teacher classes, January census
Free breakfast clubs1schools on the government programme
Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored

Getting a place in Central Bedfordshire

From Central Bedfordshire council's allocation figures for 2026 entry: 4 secondary schools, 3 of which filled on distance. Every school's page has a postcode check.

Hardest to get into

The last place went to a child living this far away. The shorter the distance, the harder it is to get in.

  1. Houstone School 1.2 miles
  2. Robert Bloomfield Academy 4.0 miles
  3. Redborne Upper School and Community College 4.6 miles

Source: Central Bedfordshire council (allocation statistics). Councils we hold this for.

Secondary schools (27)

Ranked by score, highest first. The likely range shows how sure we can be. If two schools' ranges overlap, don't read it as one beating the other. Click a column heading to sort, or hover a row to find it on the map.

#SchoolPupilsLow incomeOfstedScoreLikely range
1Robert Bloomfield AcademyAcademy · ages 9-13 · Shefford96213%No overall grade 20259385 to 97
2Leighton Middle SchoolCouncil · ages 9-13 · Leighton Buzzard59711%Good 20248371 to 91
3Linslade SchoolAcademy · ages 9-13 · Leighton Buzzard7219%Good 20227558 to 85
4Brooklands Middle SchoolAcademy · ages 9-13 · Leighton Buzzard59816%Good 20236949 to 82
5Etonbury AcademyAcademy · ages 9-19 · Arlesey1,15815%Good 20206454 to 71
6Houstone SchoolFree school · ages 11-16 · Dunstable76528%No overall grade 20256348 to 74
7Redborne Upper School and Community CollegeAcademy · ages 13-18 · Bedford1,65715%Good 20246051 to 69
8Vandyke Upper SchoolAcademy · ages 13-18 · Leighton Buzzard1,51717%Good 20245950 to 68
9Woodland Middle School AcademyAcademy · ages 9-13 · Bedford64518%Good 20235937 to 76
10Pix Brook AcademyFree school · ages 9-16 · Stotfold1,01113%Good 20245635 to 74
11Cedars Upper SchoolAcademy · ages 13-18 · Leighton Buzzard1,13516%Good 20235343 to 63
12Arnold AcademyAcademy · ages 9-13 · Bedford70414%Good 20235231 to 71
13Holywell SchoolAcademy · ages 9-13 · Bedford66817%Good 20235131 to 71
14Harlington Upper SchoolAcademy · ages 13-18 · Dunstable1,15613%Good 20234839 to 58
15Parkfields Middle SchoolAcademy · ages 9-13 · Dunstable46011%Good 20244828 to 69
16Priory AcademyAcademy · ages 9-16 · Dunstable83015%Good 20234634 to 57
17Alameda Middle SchoolAcademy · ages 9-13 · Bedford72011%Good 20234525 to 66
18Samuel Whitbread AcademyAcademy · ages 13-18 · Shefford1,65713%Good 20234132 to 50
19Sandy Secondary SchoolFoundation · ages 11-18 · Sandy1,25922%No overall grade 20254131 to 51
20Stratton SchoolAcademy · ages 11-18 · Biggleswade91720%No overall grade 20252317 to 31
21Henlow Church of England AcademyAcademy · ages 9-16 · Henlow59920%No overall grade 20252115 to 30
22All Saints Academy DunstableAcademy · ages 11-18 · Dunstable52037%No overall grade 20241711 to 22
23Fulbrook SchoolAcademy · ages 9-16 · Milton Keynes55117%Report card 20261510 to 21
24Queensbury AcademyAcademy · ages 11-19 · Dunstable1,09317%No overall grade 20241310 to 18
25Manshead Church of England AcademyAcademy · ages 11-19 · Luton1,13422%Report card 2026128 to 16
Edward Peake CofE VC SchoolChurch of England · ages 11-16 · Biggleswade35928%Report card 2026–
Gilbert Inglefield AcademyAcademy · ages 9-13 · Leighton Buzzard––Report card 2026–

Secondary schools by town in Central Bedfordshire

Bedford5 schoolsBiggleswade2 schoolsDunstable6 schoolsHenlow1 schoolsLeighton Buzzard6 schoolsLuton1 schoolsMilton Keynes1 schoolsSandy1 schoolsShefford2 schools

Secondary schools in nearby areas

Essex81 schoolsHertfordshire82 schoolsNorfolk57 schoolsSuffolk46 schoolsCambridgeshire35 schoolsPeterborough16 schoolsBedford14 schoolsLuton13 schoolsSouthend-on-Sea12 schoolsThurrock13 schools

About this list

Schools are listed by their School Chooser Score, highest first. Schools without a score (independent schools and those with too little published data) come after, in alphabetical order. The score compares each school with schools that have a similar mix of pupils, not just with each other, so a school with a lower score in a wealthier area may still have better exam results. How the score works.