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Schools across Central Bedfordshire

Local authority · 135 schools across 27 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Central Bedfordshire →

Schools in Central Bedfordshire (135)

Showing 20 of 135 schools

Total Schools

135

95 primary · 27 secondary

Total Pupils

49,227

91% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

41

1 outstanding · 40 good

Capacity

54,219

4,992 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

40
94
Outstanding: 1
Good: 40
Not inspected: 94

Best Schools in Central Bedfordshire

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

36.2

GCSE Eng+Maths

33.3%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

93% full
24,293 pupils26,012 capacity

1,719 spare places

Secondary Schools

87% full
22,622 pupils26,015 capacity

3,393 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

5.9%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

14.2%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

121

2024/25

Absence trend across Central Bedfordshire schools

4.6%
18/19
3.9%
20/21
7.3%
21/22
6.7%
22/23
6.3%
23/24
5.9%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

47%

Plans Issued

529

Assessment Requests

826

Tribunal Cases

38

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

88%
2019
51%
2020
11%
2021
9%
2022
28%
2023
43%
2024
47%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

4,353 admissions

104

Lodged

(2.4%)

60

Heard

12

Successful

(20%)

Primary (infant classes)

3,851 admissions

71

Lodged

(1.8%)

38

Heard

5

Successful

(13%)

Secondary

5,621 admissions

144

Lodged

(2.6%)

129

Heard

35

Successful

(27%)

Total

9,974 admissions

248

Lodged

(2.5%)

189

Heard

47

Successful

(25%)

Total appeals lodged per year

259
2019
335
2020
340
2021
305
2022
406
2023
487
2024
567
2025
567
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Central Bedfordshire

Dunstable

32 schools

Bedford

22 schools

Leighton Buzzard

21 schools

Biggleswade

12 schools

Luton

7 schools

Sandy

7 schools

Shefford

5 schools

Henlow

4 schools

Milton Keynes

3 schools

Hitchin

3 schools

Houghton Regis

2 schools

Arlesey

2 schools

Fairfield Park

1 schools

Near Shefford

1 schools

Stotfold

1 schools

Nr Sandy

1 schools

Cranfield

1 schools

Ampthill

1 schools

Marston Moreteyne

1 schools

Studham

1 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Central Bedfordshire

How many schools are there in Central Bedfordshire?

Central Bedfordshire has 135 open schools: 95 state primary, 28 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 7 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Central Bedfordshire are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Central Bedfordshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Gravenhurst Academy, Oak Bank School, Robert Bloomfield Academy and Lark Rise Academy. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 117 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.

Gravenhurst AcademyOak Bank SchoolRobert Bloomfield AcademyLark Rise Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 18 schools in Central Bedfordshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Cedars Upper School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.1 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Houstone School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.7 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Vandyke Upper School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.6 and 46% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Cedars Upper SchoolHoustone SchoolVandyke Upper School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Central Bedfordshire have the best SATs results?

Of the 37 primary schools in Central 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); Raynsford Church of England Academy (95% in reading, 90% in maths); and Derwent Primary School (89% in reading, 94% 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 AcademyRaynsford Church of England AcademyDerwent Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Central Bedfordshire?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Central Bedfordshire have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Central Bedfordshire have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire 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 Central Bedfordshire?

Apply to Central Bedfordshire 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables