Marston Vale Middle School, Bedford
Marston Vale Middle School is a secondary school for pupils aged 9 to 13 in Bedford, part of Chiltern Learning Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 35th-highest of the 53 schools in Bedford with published results, and 11,486th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2018)
- Capacity
- 95% full
- Attendance
- Better than England 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
Marston Vale Middle School in detail
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Marston Vale Middle School reached the expected standard in reading and 62% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 70% in Bedford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 62% in reading and 59% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Marston Vale Middle School
Across Bedford, 91% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Bedford lodged 87 appeals against secondary school offers; 68 reached a hearing and 25 succeeded (36.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Marston Vale Middle School are Wootton Academy (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8); Wixams Academy (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 43.9); Alameda Middle School (2.8 miles, Good); and Kempston Academy (2.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.4).
Wootton AcademyWixams AcademyAlameda Middle SchoolKempston Academy
The trust
Marston Vale Middle School 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
127 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Marston Vale Middle School (as of September 2025): 77% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).
Who goes there
5.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%) and Mixed (11%).
In 2026, 59 pupils (10.5%) received SEN support and 24 (4.3%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stewartby Rail Station, about 630 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Marston Vale Middle School (outside), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 19 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and drug offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bedford (136).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Marston Vale Middle School issued 61 suspensions, 10.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Marston Vale Middle School are Broadmead Lower School (0.3 miles), Houghton Conquest Primary School (1.6 miles) and Marston Moreteyne VC School (1.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Broadmead Lower SchoolHoughton Conquest Primary SchoolMarston Moreteyne VC 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 school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a warm and caring school where pupils are happy and feel safe. The school welcomes and accepts others, whatever their background. There are respectful relationships between pupils of all ages and between pupils and adults. Pupils enjoy and celebrate the recognition they receive through being a 'marvellous Marston'.
Pupils behave well. They demonstrate the school values of 'ready, respectful, responsible'. They understand how these help them to become responsible and kind citizens. For example, in lessons, they are ready to learn and focus on their learning. They show politeness and respect around school such as by routinely holding doors open.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. It clearly sets out what pupils should learn and when they should learn it. A focus on specific aspects of learning, for example developing subject-specific vocabulary, helps pupils to learn well across every subject. This provides pupils with a secure grasp of important words that they use in discussions and in their well-presented written work.
Staff use their strong subject knowledge to teach the curriculum well. They select appropriate resources to present learning clearly. This aids pupils to make connections with what they already know. Personalised plans for pupils with SEND help remove barriers to learning.
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 Requires Improvement at its February 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
22.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
127 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
61
Suspensions
10.68%
Suspension rate
30 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 571 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Marston Vale Middle School
Term dates
Marston Vale Middle School 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Marston Vale Middle School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Marston Vale Middle School 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 2 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
Will you get a place at Marston Vale Middle School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Marston Vale Middle School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Marston Vale Middle School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Marston Vale Middle School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bedford, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- 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
95%
Near capacity
568 pupils
600 places
32 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.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
59
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
14.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
563
Total Pupils
287
Boys
276
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
34
Teachers
16.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,589
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,837
Per pupil
£3666k
Total funding
£156k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.4%
Overall absence
18.5%
Persistent absence
595
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
Marston Vale Middle School
Questions parents ask about Marston Vale Middle School
What are SATs results like at Marston Vale Middle School?
Of the pupils at Marston Vale Middle School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 62% did so in maths.
What is Marston Vale Middle School's Ofsted rating?
Marston Vale Middle School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2018, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Marston Vale Middle School?
No fixed boundary. When Marston Vale Middle School is oversubscribed, Bedford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Marston Vale Middle School?
Marston Vale Middle School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Marston Vale Middle School?
Classes at Marston Vale Middle School average 26.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Marston Vale Middle School?
Marston Vale Middle School has around 563 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Marston Vale Middle School?
6.4% of sessions were missed at Marston Vale Middle School in 2024/25. 18.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Marston Vale Middle School?
Apply through Bedford's coordinated admissions process, naming Marston Vale Middle School 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 Marston Vale Middle School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Marston Vale Middle School?
Marston Vale Middle School is at The Crescent, Stewartby, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 9NH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)