Holywell School, Bedford

Good
Secondary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 913

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Headteacher Michael Simpson
Pupils:668 / 720 capacity
LA:Central Bedfordshire
Phone:01234750381
Address:Red Lion Close, Cranfield, Bedford, MK43 0JA
Trust:HOLYWELL CHURCH OF ENGLAND ACADEMY
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 October 2012

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 3 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 11 July 2023View full report
URN:138844
UKPRN:10038942
Diocese:Diocese of St Albans
Constituency:Mid Bedfordshire
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2014 inspection — unchanged since its previous inspection.

Rated Good for

Leadership & management.

A plain-English summary of the full inspection report is coming soon.

At a Glance

17.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-7ppMaths-3ppWriting-43pp

Reading has declined from 72% to 65%. Maths has remained stable at around 71%. Writing has declined from 72% to 29%.

Class Sizes

28.8

Avg class size

21

Total classes

4 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Latest from Holywell School

From Holywell School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Cross Keys (opp)
159m · 3 min walk
Coronation Road (adj)
348m · 6 min walk
Millfield Close (adj)
390m · 6 min walk
War Memorial (adj)
401m · 7 min walk
Longborns (opp)
659m · 11 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

93%

Near capacity

668 pupils

720 capacity

52 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bedford

Medium pressure
New homes approved:9,345
Projected new pupils:1,682

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bedford

Admissions Demand - Central Bedfordshire

Low demand0.93x oversubscription

Places available

1,796

Applications

1,679

Got 1st preference

94.6%

Got preferred school

98.7%

Secondary admissions across Central Bedfordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(4)

11 July 2023
20 October 2020
6 March 2018

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.72949%

Overall absence

15.27967%

Persistent absence

733

Enrolments

Authorised4.41797%
Unauthorised1.31153%
Persistent (10%+)15.27967%
Severe (50%+)1.77353%

Absence trend

3.93849%
18/19
3.30526%
20/21
5.31911%
21/22
5.97733%
22/23
5.78093%
23/24
5.72949%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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