Central Bedfordshire schools in numbers
How Central Bedfordshire's 134 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).
Schools134open, all types
Pupils49,227on roll
Primary schools108
Secondary schools27
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 128 schools | 15.1% | 21.5% | 26.3% | 5thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 127 schools | 15.9% | 22.4% | 27.1% | 5thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 128 schools | 10.5% | 15.5% | 18.6% | 107thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 128 schools | 12.1% | 14.2% | 14.5% | 137thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 128 schools | 10.0% | 10.6% | 11.6% | 120thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 119 schools | 24.0 | 25.1 | 25.0 | 36thof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 119 schools | 6.6% | 10.4% | 10.6% | 32ndof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 128 schools | 19.7 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 114thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 125 schools | 13.6% | 15.6% | 15.0% | 43rdof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 128 schools | £49,861 | £50,052 | £51,377 | 123rdof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 118 schools | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 93rdof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 121 schools | 94.1% | 93.8% | 93.8% | 33rdof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 121 schools | 14.2% | 15.4% | 15.8% | 29thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 122 schools | 6.1 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 70thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 124 schools | £8,506 | £9,032 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 124 schools | £4,002 | £4,257 | £4,229 | 99thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 128 schools | 5.3% | 9.8% | 8.3% | 121stof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 128 schools | 24.2% | 10.7% | 14.1% | 132ndof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 15 schools | 41.6% | 46.7% | 46.1% | 109thof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 15 schools | 44.1 | 47.1 | 47.0 | 118thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 50 schools | 53.4% | 61.3% | 63.1% | 150thof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 50 schools | 3.4% | 8.0% | 8.3% | 149thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 122 schools | 13% | 11% | 13% | 63rdof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 80 schools | 98% | 94% | 94% | 40thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 115 schools | 25% | 33% | 35% | 123rdof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 118 schools | 85.8% | 85.9% | 86.2% | 85thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 132 schools | 55% | 57% | 52% | 69thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 132 schools | 5.3% | 8.6% | 12.0% | 128thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
Central BedfordshireEngland
Since 2016: -1.3%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
Central BedfordshireEngland
Since 2019: +5.9%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
Central BedfordshireEngland
Since 2017: -0.9%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
Central BedfordshireEngland
Since 2016: +2.3%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
Central BedfordshireEngland
Since 2007: +4.2