Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School, Bedford
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School is a special school for pupils aged 7 to 19 in Bedford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School are St John's School (4.5 miles, Good); Grange Academy (5.1 miles, Good); Rivertree Free School (5.4 miles); and Ridgeway School (6.2 miles, Good).
St John's SchoolGrange AcademyRivertree Free SchoolRidgeway School
Who goes there
In 2026, 5 pupils (50%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bedford St Johns Rail Station, about 4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High Farm (outside), 370 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bedford (136).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school prioritises pupils' wellbeing and social, emotional and mental health needs in all decisions. Strong central leadership and governance ensure high standards of safeguarding, health and safety, and inclusion. The school has thoughtfully designed its facilities - including calm learning spaces and therapeutic areas - to support each pupil's individual needs.
Key Strengths
- Robust central leadership team providing effective support across safeguarding, inclusion and health and safety
- Well-trained safeguarding leaders who understand specific risks and take rapid action to keep pupils safe
- Carefully planned growth that will not negatively impact existing pupils, with adequate staffing and space provision
- Highly personalised risk management plans that identify precise risks and suitable mitigation measures
- Well-maintained premises with calm, therapeutic spaces designed around pupils' individual needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective, with well-trained leaders who understand particular risks facing pupils, keep detailed records showing chronology of concerns, and work effectively with external agencies to support pupils and families.
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. This material change inspection found the school is likely to meet independent school standards if approved to increase its maximum pupil capacity from 18 to 25.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Keep up with Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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
School Occupancy
40%
Available places
10 pupils
25 places
15 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
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(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
50.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
10
Total Pupils
0
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School
Questions parents ask about Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School
What is Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School's Ofsted rating?
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2025, it was rated Good.
Does Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School?
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School has around 10 pupils on roll.
Does Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School have specialist SEN provision?
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School?
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School?
Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School is at Renhold Road, Bedford, MK44 2PT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)