Kempston Academy, Bedford
Kempston Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Bedford, part of Chiltern Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 14th-highest of the 14 schools in Bedford with published results, and 2,844th of 3,298 across England. It was 80% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bedford (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Kempston Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Kempston Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Bedford and 47 across England.
29% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Bedford and 47% in England.
That is down from 40.3 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.09: pupils made about 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 28.7, against 42.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Business Studies.
Getting a place at Kempston Academy
For September 2026 entry, 105 families put Kempston Academy as their first choice and 212 named it as one of their preferences, for 118 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Kempston Academy are Daubeney Academy (1.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 46.1); Wootton Academy (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8); Biddenham International School and Sports College (1.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.3); and Wixams Academy (2.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 43.9).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Kempston Academy.
Daubeney AcademyWootton AcademyBiddenham International School and Sports CollegeWixams Academy
The trust
Kempston Academy is one of 21 schools run by Chiltern Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.5 in 2024/25.
What parents say
148 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Kempston Academy (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 85% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (74%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 143 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 73% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Of the 25 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 32% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 20% into work. 3% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
26.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (41%), Black (12%) and Asian (12%).
Kempston Academy has a resourced provision (20 places, 18 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (20 places, 20 pupils on roll) for social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Kempston Hardwick Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Williamson Road Shops (opposite), 260 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Kempston Academy issued 279 suspensions, 33.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Kempston Academy are Balliol Primary School (0.3 miles), Kempston Rural Primary School (0.5 miles), Bedford Road Primary Academy (0.8 miles) and Springfield Primary School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Balliol Primary SchoolKempston Rural Primary SchoolBedford Road Primary AcademySpringfield Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
There is an increasing sense of pride across the school community. The school's 'GROW' principles, including the focus on excellence and strong relationships, raise pupils' aspirations. Standards are getting better across most subjects. Final year sixth-form students get the specialist support that they need to complete their studies.
The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to build their confidence so that they can access the full curriculum. High expectations are realised in pupils' improved behaviour and in their work. The few pupils who struggle to behave well are supported to improve.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
With the support of the trust, the school has acted swiftly to address a decline in standards, including in pupils' behaviour and attendance. Recently, the school has seen an increase in the number of pupils joining at different points in the year. Many of these enter in Years 10 and 11. Some pupils arrive with long periods of absence and disruption to their prior learning. This, coupled with previous curriculum weaknesses, resulted in Year 11 pupils' attainment in 2023 examinations falling below the national average.
The quality of education is now much improved. This is reflected in pupils' achievements overall, including in English and mathematics. The school has high expectations. Consequently, a greater number of pupils now study the full range of qualifications linked to the English Baccalaureate. Pupils' work is often of high quality.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 September 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision and SEN unit: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
148 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.20 to -0.09 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 35.5 to 38.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 19% to 29% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 38.4 | 29.1% |
| Disadvantaged(47) | - | 28.7 | 10.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(111) | - | 42.5 | 36.9% |
| Boys(69) | - | 35.2 | 26.1% |
| Girls(89) | - | 40.8 | 31.5% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(44) | - | 40.0 | 36.4% |
| Non mobile(139) | - | 39.2 | 30.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 143 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.24%
Exclusion rate
279
Suspensions
33.86%
Suspension rate
95 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 824 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Kempston Academy
Term dates
Kempston Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bedford's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Kempston Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Kempston Academy is in Bedford; for families living there:
Apply to Bedford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
3 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
Your chances of a place at Kempston Academy
Will you get a place at Kempston Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Kempston Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Kempston Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Kempston Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bedford, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Kempston Academy for 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bedford got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
80%
Available places
820 pupils
1,025 places
205 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
153
SEN Support
35
EHC Plans
24.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Kempston Academy has a resourced provision (20 places, 18 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (20 places, 20 pupils on roll) for social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
773
Total Pupils
405
Boys
368
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
50
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,047
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,449
Per pupil
£6347k
Total funding
£241k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.7%
Overall absence
24.4%
Persistent absence
860
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Kempston Academy
Questions parents ask about Kempston Academy
What are GCSE results like at Kempston Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Kempston Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 38.4. 29% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Kempston Academy's Ofsted rating?
Kempston Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Kempston Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Kempston Academy is oversubscribed, Bedford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Kempston Academy?
Kempston Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 1025 places.
How big are the classes at Kempston Academy?
Classes at Kempston Academy average 25 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Kempston Academy?
Kempston Academy has around 773 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Kempston Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Kempston Academy has a resourced provision (20 places, 18 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (20 places, 20 pupils on roll) for social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at Kempston Academy?
8.7% of sessions were missed at Kempston Academy in 2024/25. 24.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Kempston Academy?
Apply through Bedford's coordinated admissions process, naming Kempston Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Kempston Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 3 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 Kempston Academy?
Kempston Academy is at Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7EB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)