Discover BedfordEast of England
Map of schools in Bedford
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Schools are coloured by their last Ofsted grade, or by results compared with England schools of the same type in the same year: reading, writing and maths at the end of primary school, and Attainment 8 at GCSE. Special, alternative provision, independent, nursery, 16 to 19 and all-through schools are not compared. Behind them, neighbourhoods are coloured by the education, skills and training measure of the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (England only). Sources: Department for Education, Ofsted, MHCLG. Open Government Licence v3.0. This map outlines Bedford and its wards. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Schools and results
How schools here are spread and how pupils are doing. There are no league tables on this page.
How do we know these figures?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools in the area Open schools (excluding children's centres) with a postcode in the area. | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | Oct 2026 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality |
| Pupils on roll Pupils on roll at schools in the area (January 2026 census where reported). Pupils may live elsewhere. | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality |
| Graded schools rated Good or Outstanding Share of schools with a 1-4 Ofsted grade that are Outstanding or Good. | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | as at 31 Aug 2026 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality |
| KS2 reading, writing and maths at expected standard Pupil-weighted share of year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths (2024/25). | Department for Education (compare school performance) Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2024/25 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Pupil-weighted mean of school percentages (eligible pupils). From 55 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| KS4 Attainment 8 score Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores (2024/25). | Department for Education (compare school performance) Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2024/25 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Cohort-weighted mean of school Attainment 8 scores. From 19 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Schools opened in the last two years New schools (not academy conversions, relaunches or mergers) with an opening date Oct 2024 - Sep 2026. | Department for Education (GIAS) Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | Oct 2024 to Sep 2026 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, medium quality |
Method: Schools in an area
Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures
FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
Method: Change events
Events are dated records from public registers: company insolvency notices in The Gazette (loaded from July 2025, so the window is under 24 months), charity registrations and removals (Charity Commission register events), and school opening and closing dates (GIAS), where academy conversions, relaunches and mergers are labelled separately from genuine new schools and closures. They are located at the registered office, registered address or school premises, which is not necessarily where an organisation operates or where affected people live. Each council shows only its most recent events per type (cap per type); wards show all loaded events. The Gazette feed carries insolvency notices only, not planning, licensing or other notices. A notice is an event on the register, not a judgement about the organisation. No individuals' names are stored.
Latest Ofsted judgements
This place England
Share of schools by latest overall judgement. Inspection frameworks have changed over time, so older and newer judgements are not like for like. as at 31 Aug 2026.
How do we know this?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted grades of schools Latest overall Ofsted grade of schools in the area as at 31 Aug 2026 (distribution). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | as at 31 Aug 2026 | Bedford (Council area) |
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures
FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
Schools by phase
This place England
Share of schools. Oct 2026.
How do we know this?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools by phase Open schools by phase of education (distribution). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | Oct 2026 | Bedford (Council area) |
Method: Schools in an area
Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.
Schools by type
This place England
Share of schools. Oct 2026.
How do we know this?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools by type Open schools by establishment type group (distribution). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | Oct 2026 | Bedford (Council area) |
Method: Schools in an area
Each open school is located by the postcode of its GIAS record, so it belongs to exactly one postcode district, ward, built-up area, constituency, council and so on. A school is counted where it is, not where its pupils live; pupils often cross boundaries. Children's centres are excluded. Phase and type are the GIAS labels grouped for display.
Pupils and attendance
How do we know these figures?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils eligible for free school meals Pupil-weighted share of pupils eligible for free school meals (2025/26). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 85 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Pupils on SEN support Pupil-weighted share of pupils receiving SEN support (2025/26). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 85 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Pupils with an EHC plan Pupil-weighted share of pupils with an education, health and care plan (2025/26). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2025/26 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Share of pupils at schools in the area; pupil-weighted. From 85 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Overall absence rate Pupil-weighted share of sessions missed for any reason (2024/25). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2024/25 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Pupil-weighted mean of school rates. From 72 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
| Persistent absence Pupil-weighted share of pupils missing 10% or more of sessions (2024/25). | Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool) | 2024/25 | Bedford (Council area) | aggregated, high quality Pupil-weighted mean of school rates. From 72 schools. Schools are counted where they are located, not where pupils live. |
Method: Pupil-weighted school measures
FSM, SEN and absence percentages are school-level figures averaged with school roll (January 2026 census) as the weight; KS2 and KS4 measures are averaged with the number of eligible pupils (KS2) or the KS4 cohort as the weight. This equals the share of pupils in the area's schools, not of pupils living in the area. The England value uses the same method on the same files and is the comparator. Suppressed school values are skipped, so coverage differs by measure (the number of schools used is in the notes). Ofsted outcomes are the latest overall grade on record at 31 August 2026; schools inspected under the new report-card framework may carry no single grade.
Pupil characteristics describe who attends local schools, not how good the schools are. Absence and special educational needs rates differ for many reasons beyond the school.
Adult qualifications
What residents have studied, from the census.
How do we know these figures?
| Figure | Source | Period | Geography | Method and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with no qualifications Share of usual residents aged 16 and over with no qualifications (Census 2021). | Office for National Statistics Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2021 | Bedford (Council area) | direct, high quality |
| Adults with a degree-level qualification or above Share of usual residents aged 16 and over whose highest qualification is Level 4 (degree level) or above (Census 2021). | Office for National Statistics Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 | 2021 | Bedford (Council area) | direct, high quality |
Method: Census 2021 housing, health and qualifications for Wales
Wales held its census on the same day as England (21 March 2021) with the same questions, so the figures are directly comparable. For Wales we use the published local authority tables. Tenure counts shared ownership with owners; "private rented" includes people who live rent free, as in the England figures. Overcrowding is an occupancy rating of -1 or less for bedrooms. Qualifications are for people aged 16 and over; "no qualifications" and "Level 4 or above" (degree level and above) are shares of all those people. Counts are rounded by random adjustment, so tiny differences from other tables are expected. Wales households per local authority are not split to small areas here.
Highest qualification of people aged 16 and over, Census 2021 (21 March 2021). Level 4 is degree level and above. Older adults are less likely to hold formal qualifications, so areas with more older residents show higher shares with none.
Local schools (85)
Listed alphabetically. Each links to its own page, with its Ofsted record, results and governors.
| School | Phase | Type | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balliol Primary School | Primary | Community school | 355 |
| Bedford Academy | Secondary | Academy sponsor led | 1,480 |
| Bedford College | 16 plus | Further education | |
| Bedford Free School | Secondary | Free schools | 536 |
| Bedford Girls' School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 843 |
| Bedford Greenacre Independent School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 775 |
| Bedford Modern School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 1,219 |
| Bedford Road Primary Academy | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 365 |
| Bedford School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 994 |
| Biddenham International School and Sports College | Secondary | Foundation school | 1,422 |
| Brickhill Primary School | Primary | Community school | 209 |
| Broadmead Lower School | Primary | Community school | 228 |
| Bromham CofE Primary School | Primary | Voluntary controlled school | 496 |
| Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School | Not applicable | Other independent special school | 10 |
| Camestone School | Primary | Community school | 408 |
| Carlton CofE Primary School | Primary | Voluntary controlled school | 87 |
| Castle Newnham School | All-through | Academy converter | 624 |
| Cauldwell School | Primary | Academy converter | 415 |
| Cherry Trees Nursery School | Nursery | Local authority nursery school | 147 |
| Christopher Reeves CofE Va Primary School | Primary | Voluntary aided school | 70 |
| Cotton End Forest School | Primary | Community school | 435 |
| Daubeney Academy | Secondary | Academy converter | 576 |
| Edith Cavell Primary School | Primary | Foundation school | 292 |
| Eileen Wade Primary School | Primary | Foundation school | 70 |
| Elstow School | Primary | Academy converter | 413 |
| Goldington Academy | Secondary | Academy converter | 958 |
| Goldington Green Academy | Primary | Academy converter | 576 |
| Grange Academy | Not applicable | Academy special converter | 161 |
| Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy | Primary | Academy converter | 176 |
| Great Denham Primary School | Primary | Foundation school | 677 |
| Great Ouse Primary Academy | Primary | Free schools | 455 |
| Greys Education Centre | Not applicable | Academy alternative provision converter | 57 |
| Harrold Primary Academy | Primary | Academy converter | 96 |
| Hazeldene School | Primary | Foundation school | 443 |
| Kws School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 18 |
| Kempston Academy | Secondary | Academy sponsor led | 773 |
| Kempston Rural Primary School | Primary | Community school | 439 |
| Kimberley 16 - 19 Stem College | 16 plus | Free schools 16 to 19 | 749 |
| King's Oak Primary School | Primary | Community school | 826 |
| Kymbrook Primary School | Primary | Foundation school | 76 |
| Lakeview School | Primary | Academy converter | 436 |
| Lincroft Academy | Secondary | Academy converter | 923 |
| Livingstone Primary School | Primary | Foundation school | 457 |
| Mark Rutherford School | Secondary | Academy converter | 1,150 |
| Marston Vale Middle School | Middle deemed secondary | Academy converter | 563 |
| Milton Ernest CofE Primary School | Primary | Voluntary controlled school | 67 |
| Oakley Primary Academy | Primary | Academy converter | 210 |
| Peter Pan Nursery School | Nursery | Local authority nursery school | 118 |
| Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 297 |
| Pinchmill Primary School | Primary | Foundation school | 88 |
| Polam School | Not applicable | Other independent school | 99 |
| Priory Primary School | Primary | Foundation school | 214 |
| Putnoe Primary School | Primary | Academy converter | 494 |
| Queen's Park Academy | Primary | Academy converter | 446 |
| Ravensden CofE Primary Academy | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 51 |
| Renhold Vc Primary School | Primary | Voluntary controlled school | 191 |
| Ridgeway School | Not applicable | Community special school | 125 |
| Riseley CofE Primary School | Primary | Voluntary aided school | 121 |
| Rivertree Free School | Not applicable | Free schools special | 126 |
| Roxton Church of England Academy | Primary | Academy sponsor led | 70 |
Showing the first 60 of 85. Near Me lists schools by distance.
Sources used on this page
4- Department for Education (compare school performance): Key stage 2 and key stage 4 school-level performance tables extractPeriod: 2024/25 (revised; year inferred from the extract) · Published: Mar 2026 (fetched) · Coverage: England state-funded schools with published results · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
- Department for Education (Get Information about Schools) via WhatSchool data: Establishment records, pupil numbers, FSM, SEN, absence; Ofsted outcomesPeriod: GIAS 7 Oct 2026; pupils January 2026 census; FSM/SEN 2025/26; absence 2024/25; Ofsted as at 31 Aug 2026 · Published: Oct 2026 · Coverage: England (GIAS); Wales has establishment records without results · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (DfE Get Information about Schools and Ofsted data, via WhatSchool)
- Department for Education (GIAS): Establishment open and close datesPeriod: file of 7 Oct 2026 · Published: 7 Oct 2026 · Coverage: England · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
- Office for National Statistics: Census 2021 bulk tables via Nomis: TS054 tenure, TS045 cars, TS044 accommodation type, TS017 household size, TS052 occupancy rating (bedrooms), TS037 general health, TS067 highest qualificationPeriod: 21 March 2021 · Published: 2023 · Coverage: Local authorities of Wales (22) and Wales; qualifications also for England and its local authorities · Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0
Registered offices are not operating locations. Ranks and deciles are never averaged. Census 2021 figures are labelled 2021.