Daubeney AcademyBedford Free School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bedford.
Summary of the comparison
Daubeney Academy and Bedford Free School are secondary schools in Bedford.
Daubeney Academy scores 63 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Bedford Free School scores 76 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Bedford Free School is ahead on our composite score.
Daubeney Academy was judged exceptional and Bedford Free School was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.1 for Daubeney Academy and 51.0 for Bedford Free School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Daubeney Academy (38.1 in 2021-22, 46.1 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Bedford Free School (54.6 in 2021-22, 51.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BedfordDaubeney Academy | BedfordBedford Free School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C63/100 | B76/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 5th of 14 in Bedford | 1st of 14 in Bedford Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Outstanding | Ofsted: Outstanding | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 576 | 536 | |
| Capacity | 583 | 500 | |
| Location | Bedford, MK42 7PS | Bedford, MK42 9AD | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.1 | 51.0 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 51.7% | 58.3% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 61.0% | 68.0% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 118 | 103 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 561 | 525 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 26.7% | 28.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 35.7% | 64.0% | |
| SEN support | 16.8% | 4.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.5% | 4.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.8% Stronger figure | 7.7% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 18.3% Stronger figure | 19.4% | 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.
Daubeney Academy
Bedford Free School
Full profiles: Daubeney Academy · Bedford Free School