Bedford College, Bedford
Bedford College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Bedford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bedford College in detail
Where pupils go next
Of the 3639 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 18% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 40% into work. 4% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bedford St Johns Rail Station, about 430 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bedford College (outside), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bedford College stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 949 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Bedford (136), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to be a learner with this provider?
Learners and apprentices study in environments that are safe and welcoming. Staff are supportive and caring, and they maintain calm classrooms, where learners and apprentices focus well on their studies. Learners on level 1 motor vehicle courses act professionally and responsibly, demonstrating maturity in practical workshops. On Prince's Trust programmes, learners set their own rules about what constitutes acceptable behaviour, abide by these rules and behave well.
Learners and apprentices feel safe. They appreciate the positive safeguarding culture at each college or group site. Staff know their learners and apprentices very well and help them to manage their individual circumstances. Learners and apprentices appreciate the safeguarding measures that are in place at each site, such as security officers at entrances who check lanyards, and the well-lit pedestrian areas. They know how to report concerns and are confident that concerns will be acted on swiftly.
What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?
Senior leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the quality of education. Newly appointed leaders and a recent restructure of management roles demonstrate a sincere commitment to improving the quality of provision by bringing quality to the forefront of all performance-related meetings and activities. The previously declining achievement in apprenticeships has been halted and the achievement of apprentices has improved considerably.
Leaders work closely with subcontractors to recruit learners who have significant barriers to accessing education. Senior staff monitor closely the performance of subcontracted provision to understand how well learners perform on distance learning programmes and specialist performing arts, warehousing and facilities management courses. Learners on subcontracted provision make good progress towards achieving the qualifications that they need to move on to their next steps.
From Ofsted's October 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Bedford College is a further education college located in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It is the principal further education provider in the Borough of Bedford.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
C-
Average grade
26.5
Points per entry
C-
Best 3 A-Levels
4%
Achieving AAB+
Below average
Value added
353
A-Level students
82%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
+ 13 more subjects
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 3,639 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
4%
Top-third university
35%
Degree course
44%
Any L4+ destination
2%
Apprenticeships
Based on 1,471 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Bedford College
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 117
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 23
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 117 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 23 serious and 93 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot.
19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bedford is 6 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Bedford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bedford
Across Bedford council
Places available
2,556
Applications
2,095
Got 1st preference
90.6%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All secondary applications across Bedford council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(10)
Questions parents ask about Bedford College
What is Bedford College's Ofsted rating?
Bedford College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024.
What is the catchment area for Bedford College?
No fixed boundary. When Bedford College is oversubscribed, Bedford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Bedford College?
Apply through Bedford's coordinated admissions process, naming Bedford College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Bedford College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 117 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 23 serious and 93 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot. 19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bedford is 6 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bedford College?
Bedford College is at Cauldwell Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9AH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)