Mark Rutherford SchoolSt Thomas More Catholic School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bedford.
Summary of the comparison
Mark Rutherford School and St Thomas More Catholic School are secondary schools in Bedford.
Mark Rutherford School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and St Thomas More Catholic School scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average). St Thomas More Catholic School is ahead on our composite score.
Mark Rutherford School was judged the expected standard and St Thomas More Catholic School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 40.7 for Mark Rutherford School and 41.0 for St Thomas More Catholic School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Mark Rutherford School (42.7 in 2021-22, 40.7 in 2025-26) and has fallen at St Thomas More Catholic School (52.1 in 2021-22, 41.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BedfordMark Rutherford School | BedfordSt Thomas More Catholic School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D54/100 | C58/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 11th of 14 in Bedford | 7th of 14 in Bedford Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,150 | 893 | |
| Capacity | 1,243 | 1,040 | |
| Location | Bedford, MK41 8PX | Bedford, MK41 7UL | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 40.7 | 41.0 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 28.3% | 36.6% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 59.0% Stronger figure | 49.7% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 212 | 153 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 78 | 73 | |
| A-level average points | 28.3 Stronger figure | 26.9 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C- | C- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 29.5 Stronger figure | 27.3 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 11.6% Stronger figure | 7.1% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,180 | 929 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 27.1% | 21.2% | |
| English as an additional language | 13.6% | 36.2% | |
| SEN support | 14.6% | 7.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.6% | 2.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.1% Stronger figure | 10.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 28.7% Stronger figure | 34.6% | 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
A-level average points
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.
Mark Rutherford School
St Thomas More Catholic School
Full profiles: Mark Rutherford School · St Thomas More Catholic School