Bedford Academy, Bedford

In its own words: "Welcome to Bedford Academy, part of HEART Academies Trust. We are a community-minded school who put our students at the centre of everything we do. Bedford Academy provides a fantastic foundation for the next steps in your child’s education, whatever pathway they choose to follow."

In 2026, pupils at Bedford Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Bedford and 47 across England.

36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Bedford and 47% in England.

That is up from 42.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.43: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 42.1, against 45.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 3.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Spanish.

For September 2026 entry, 285 families put Bedford Academy as their first choice and 722 named it as one of their preferences, for 293 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 15 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Bedford Academy are Bedford Free School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 51); Daubeney Academy (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 46.1); Castle Newnham School (1.5 miles); and Goldington Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Bedford Academy.

Bedford Academy is one of 6 schools run by Heart Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 206 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 96 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 51% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 26% into work. 6% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

38.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 38.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (29%), Asian (22%) and Mixed (13%).

The nearest railway station is Bedford St Johns Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is John Bunyan Upper School (outside), 90 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 346 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bedford (136), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Bedford Academy issued 90 suspensions, 6.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Bedford Academy are King's Oak Primary School (0.3 miles), Shackleton Primary School (0.5 miles), Elstow School (0.6 miles) and Cauldwell School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.