Bedford schools in numbers
How Bedford's 84 schools compare with East of England and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools84open, all types
Pupils35,378on roll
Primary schools56
Secondary schools14
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Bedford | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 76 schools | 21.4% | 21.5% | 26.3% | 40thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 73 schools | 22.5% | 22.4% | 27.1% | 44thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 76 schools | 22.5% | 15.5% | 18.6% | 64thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 74 schools | 13.2% | 14.2% | 14.5% | 114thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 74 schools | 8.8% | 10.6% | 11.6% | 135thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Bedford | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 67 schools | 24.0 | 25.1 | 25.0 | 34thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 67 schools | 6.7% | 10.4% | 10.6% | 35thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 74 schools | 19.3 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 94thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 73 schools | 14.6% | 15.6% | 15.0% | 74thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 75 schools | £47,984 | £50,052 | £51,377 | 150thof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 71 schools | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 7thof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Bedford | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 70 schools | 94.2% | 93.8% | 93.8% | 22ndof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 70 schools | 15.5% | 15.4% | 15.8% | 59thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 70 schools | 5.4 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 51stof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Bedford | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 71 schools | £8,477 | £9,032 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 71 schools | £3,978 | £4,257 | £4,229 | 105thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 74 schools | 7.9% | 9.8% | 8.3% | 76thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 74 schools | 13.5% | 10.7% | 14.1% | 71stof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Bedford | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 12 schools | 44.1% | 46.7% | 46.1% | 82ndof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 12 schools | 45.1 | 47.1 | 47.0 | 94thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 51 schools | 55.9% | 61.3% | 63.1% | 149thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 51 schools | 3.2% | 8.0% | 8.3% | 150thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Bedford | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 66 schools | 20% | 11% | 13% | 12thof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 40 schools | 100% | 94% | 94% | 16thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 65 schools | 23% | 33% | 35% | 134thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 67 schools | 82.9% | 85.9% | 86.2% | 113thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 77 schools | 57% | 57% | 52% | 61stof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 77 schools | 10.4% | 8.6% | 12.0% | 89thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
BedfordEngland
Since 2016: -1.4%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
BedfordEngland
Since 2019: +8.2%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
BedfordEngland
Since 2017: +8.5%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
BedfordEngland
Since 2016: +18.4%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
BedfordEngland
Since 2007: +4.8