Samuel Whitbread Academy: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2025 entry, 362 families put Samuel Whitbread Academy as their first choice and 409 named it as one of their preferences, for 356 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2025 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 432 in 2020 to 362 in 2025, while places went from 384 to 356.
Across Central Bedfordshire, 91% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 96% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Central Bedfordshire lodged 158 appeals against secondary school offers; 121 reached a hearing and 37 succeeded (30.6% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 356 | 362 | 409 | 1.0 | 8 |
| 2024 | 394 | 464 | 504 | 1.2 | 72 |
| 2023 | 361 | 364 | 411 | 1.0 | 3 |
| 2022 | 371 | 370 | 409 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 376 | 414 | 464 | 1.1 | 41 |
| 2020 | 384 | 432 | 483 | 1.1 | 48 |
| 2019 | 381 | 434 | 497 | 1.1 | 55 |
| 2018 | 397 | 423 | 477 | 1.1 | 33 |
| 2017 | 352 | 323 | 422 | 0.9 | 2 |
| 2016 | 423 | 409 | 499 | 1.0 | 1 |
| 2015 | 411 | 410 | 474 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 417 | 412 | 479 | 1.0 | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.