Arnold AcademyCardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares Arnold Academy and Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College.
Arnold Academy scores 43 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College scores 64 out of 100 (grade C, average). Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College is ahead on our composite score.
Arnold Academy was judged Good and Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College was judged Good.
The share of pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 has risen at Arnold Academy (31.0% in 2022-23, 60.0% in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BedfordArnold Academy | LutonCardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D43/100 | C64/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 19th of 26 in Central Bedfordshire | 6th of 13 in Luton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Middle deemed secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 9-13 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 704 | 1,655 | |
| Capacity | 720 | 1,400 | |
| Location | Bedford, MK45 4JZ | Luton, LU2 7AE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | Not reported | 50.0 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | Not reported | 46.4% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | Not reported | 69.9% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | Not reported | 82.2% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | Not reported | 4.68 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | Not reported | 276 | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | 60.0% | Not reported | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | 7.0% | Not reported | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | 106.0 | Not reported | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | 105.0 | Not reported | 105.0 |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 111 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 36.1 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 36.4 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 16.3% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 699 | 1,641 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 11.9% | 18.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 3.6% | 30.5% | |
| SEN support | 19.2% | 11.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.0% | 4.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.1% Stronger figure | 6.5% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 13.3% Stronger figure | 17.0% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Arnold Academy
Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College
Full profiles: Arnold Academy · Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College