OFSTED
25 February 2025
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Not judged
OEIF
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Outstanding
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Bedford
Trust
MERIDIAN TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,684
1,684 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
839
49.8% of pupils
Male pupils
845
50.2% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
11.0 pts
below England
School
13.8%
Bedford
20.1%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
12.2 pts
below England
School
8.1%
Bedford
23.1%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.7 pts
above England
School
1.7%
Bedford
1.8%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
77.0%
1,297
Any other ethnic group
3.6%
60
African
3.3%
55
Indian
2.6%
44
Any other Mixed background
2.5%
42
White and Asian
2.2%
37
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
4.0%
67 of
1,684 pupils
16.8 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
12.5 pts
below
England
6.0%
4.4 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
51.6
12.4 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.17 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
7.95%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.73 pts
higher than
England
School
7.95%
Bedford
5.81%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
22.66%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
6.84 pts
higher than
England
School
22.66%
Bedford
15.50%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
3.82%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
2.02 pts
higher than
England
School
3.82%
Bedford
1.52%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
86.4%
6.0 pts
below England
Sharnbrook Academy
86.4%
Bedford
88.6%
East of England
92.9%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.