Best Schools in Bedfordshire

How many schools are there in Bedfordshire?

Bedfordshire has 288 open schools: 194 state primary, 53 state secondary or all-through, 11 independent, 14 special and 16 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bedfordshire are rated Outstanding?

24 schools in Bedfordshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Tennyson Road Primary School, Great Denham Primary School, Woodlands Secondary School, Gravenhurst Academy, Farley Junior Academy and 19 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 249 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.

Tennyson Road Primary SchoolGreat Denham Primary SchoolWoodlands Secondary SchoolGravenhurst AcademyFarley Junior Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bedfordshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 41 schools in Bedfordshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Denbigh High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.3 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Goldington Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Challney High School for Girls, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.5 and 56% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Denbigh High SchoolGoldington AcademyChallney High School for Girls

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bedfordshire have the best SATs results?

Of the 126 primary schools in Bedfordshire with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Lark Rise Academy (98% in reading, 95% in maths); Hillborough Junior School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); and Leagrave Primary School (95% in reading, 95% 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.

Lark Rise AcademyHillborough Junior SchoolLeagrave Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bedfordshire?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Bedfordshire have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Bedfordshire 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 Bedfordshire?

Apply to your council - Central Bedfordshire, Bedford or Luton, 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.