Bedford Free School, Bedford

From the headteacher's welcome: ""We believe, that given the right circumstances, all children are capable of extraordinary things" We work in partnership with local families to serve the communities of Bedford and Kempston providing an academic, focussed well-rounded education to pupils aged 11-16."

In 2026, pupils at Bedford Free School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Bedford and 47 across England.

58% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Bedford and 47% in England.

That is up from 46.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 1.11: pupils made well 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 42.4, against 54.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 18 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Spanish and History.

For September 2026 entry, 168 families put Bedford Free School as their first choice and 434 named it as one of their preferences, for 109 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 60 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Bedford Free School are Castle Newnham School (0.7 miles); Bedford Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.4); Castle Newnham School (1.1 miles, Attainment 8 44.8); and Goldington Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52).

Bedford Free School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

Bedford Free School is one of 10 schools run by Advantage Schools, an academy trust.

91 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bedford Free School (as of September 2025): 70% would recommend the school, 73% say their child is happy there and 44% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (44%).

Of the 98 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

66.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (36%), Black (16%) and Mixed (14%).

In 2026, 25 pupils (4.7%) received SEN support and 19 (3.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Bedford St Johns Rail Station, about 330 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).

16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bedford College (outside), 30 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bedford Free School 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.

In 2024/25, Bedford Free School issued 101 suspensions, 19.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Bedford Free School are Priory Primary School (0.5 miles), Cauldwell School (0.5 miles), Shackleton Primary School (0.6 miles) and Livingstone Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.