Denbigh High SchoolBedford Free School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Denbigh High School and Bedford Free School are secondary schools.
Denbigh High School scores 78 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Bedford Free School scores 76 out of 100 (grade B, strong). Denbigh High School is ahead on our composite score.
Denbigh High School was judged Outstanding and Bedford Free School was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 54.3 for Denbigh High School and 51.0 for Bedford Free School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Denbigh High School (55.7 in 2021-22, 54.3 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 | LutonDenbigh High School | BedfordBedford Free School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B78/100Stronger figure | B76/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 13 in Luton | 1st of 14 in Bedford | |
| 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 | 1,130 | 536 | |
| Capacity | 1,120 | 500 | |
| Location | Luton, LU3 1HE | Bedford, MK42 9AD | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 54.3 Stronger figure | 51.0 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 60.2% Stronger figure | 58.3% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 74.8% Stronger figure | 68.0% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 226 | 103 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,123 | 525 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 31.3% | 28.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 82.5% | 64.0% | |
| SEN support | 11.9% | 4.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.3% | 4.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.9% Stronger figure | 7.7% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 15.3% 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.
Denbigh High School
Bedford Free School
Full profiles: Denbigh High School · Bedford Free School