Lincroft Academy, Bedford

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am very proud to be Principal at Lincroft Academy. At Lincroft Academy, we CARE. Our values of Community, Aspiration, Respect and Excellence are the foundation of who we are. Within our vibrant learning community, we share a common goal; to be the best we can be."

In 2026, pupils at Lincroft Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Bedford and 47 across England.

56% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Bedford and 47% in England.

That is up from 45 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.4: pupils made 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 40.4, against 52.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 154 families put Lincroft Academy as their first choice and 280 named it as one of their preferences, for 164 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Lincroft Academy are Biddenham International School and Sports College (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.3); St Thomas More Catholic School (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41); Castle Newnham School (3.3 miles, Attainment 8 44.8); and Bedford Free School (3.4 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 51).

Lincroft Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Lincroft Academy is one of 36 schools run by Meridian Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.9 in 2024/25.

211 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lincroft Academy (as of September 2025): 68% would recommend the school, 78% say their child is happy there and 52% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (82%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (52%).

Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 45% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

14.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (57%), Asian (12%) and Mixed (10%).

Lincroft Academy has a resourced provision for autism: 28 places, 27 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Bedford Rail Station, about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lincroft Academy (in), 50 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lincroft Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 14 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bedford (136).

In 2024/25, Lincroft Academy issued 196 suspensions, 21.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Lincroft Academy are Oakley Primary Academy (under 0.1 miles), Ursula Taylor Church of England School (1.4 miles), Bromham CofE Primary School (1.4 miles) and Milton Ernest CofE Primary School (1.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.