Bedford AcademyBedford Free School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bedford.
Summary of the comparison
Bedford Academy and Bedford Free School are secondary schools in Bedford.
Bedford Academy scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Bedford Free School scores 75 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Bedford Free School is ahead on our composite score.
Bedford Academy was judged Good and Bedford Free School was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 42.8 for Bedford Academy and 46.5 for Bedford Free School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Bedford Academy (40.5 in 2021-22, 42.8 in 2024-25) and has fallen at Bedford Free School (54.6 in 2021-22, 46.5 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BedfordBedford Academy | BedfordBedford Free School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C59/100 | B75/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 6th of 14 in Bedford | 2nd of 14 in Bedford Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,375 | 525 | |
| Capacity | 1,500 | 500 | |
| Location | Bedford, MK42 9TR | Bedford, MK42 9AD | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 42.8 | 46.5 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 37.8% Stronger figure | 36.7% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 57.6% | 62.2% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 48.4% | 88.8% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.83 | 4.51 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 217 | 98 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 48 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 33.4 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 33.5 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 10.0% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,375 | 525 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 37.8% | 28.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 39.9% | 64.0% | |
| SEN support | 11.6% | 4.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.9% | 4.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.6% | 7.7% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 25.7% | 19.4% Stronger figure | 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.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
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.
Bedford Academy
Bedford Free School
Full profiles: Bedford Academy · Bedford Free School