Best Schools in Bedford

How many schools are there in Bedford?

Bedford has 103 open schools: 66 state primary, 20 state secondary or all-through, 8 independent, 5 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bedford are rated Outstanding?

8 schools in Bedford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Great Denham Primary School, Gravenhurst Academy, Newton Blossomville Church of England School, Bedford Free School, Cherry Trees Nursery School and 3 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 87 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Great Denham Primary SchoolGravenhurst AcademyNewton Blossomville Church of England SchoolBedford Free SchoolCherry Trees Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bedford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 14 schools in Bedford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Goldington Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Bedford Free School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Lincroft Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.4 and 56% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Goldington AcademyBedford Free SchoolLincroft Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bedford have the best SATs results?

Of the 48 primary schools in Bedford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Turvey Primary School (100% in reading, 86% in maths); Harrold Primary Academy (88% in reading, 94% in maths); and Cauldwell School (87% in reading, 92% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Turvey Primary SchoolHarrold Primary AcademyCauldwell School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bedford?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bedford selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Bedford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Bedford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Bedford?

Apply to your council - Bedford, Central Bedfordshire or Milton Keynes, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.