Sharnbrook Academy, Bedford

From the headteacher's welcome: "Sharnbrook Academy is a very successful 11-18 comprehensive school located in North Bedfordshire, with a longstanding reputation for high student achievement. We pride ourselves on our rigorous academic standards, good behaviour and excellent teaching and learning."

Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 5 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Sharnbrook Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45 in Bedford and 47 across England.

46% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Bedford and 47% in England.

That is down from 51.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.17: 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 37.3, against 50 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 235 families put Sharnbrook Academy as their first choice and 406 named it as one of their preferences, for 246 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Sharnbrook Academy are Lincroft Academy (4.1 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 50.4); Wollaston School (5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44); and St Thomas More Catholic School (5.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41).

Sharnbrook Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

Sharnbrook 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.

240 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sharnbrook Academy (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 62% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (62%).

Of the 254 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 34% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Of the 189 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 45% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 30% into work. 16% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

13.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.1% 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 (7%).

In 2026, 39 pupils (2.3%) received SEN support and 28 (1.7%) 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.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Sharnbrook Academy.

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Upper School (outside), 60 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, burglary and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Bedford (136).

In 2024/25, Sharnbrook Academy issued 215 suspensions, 12.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Sharnbrook Academy are Sharnbrook Primary (0.7 miles) and Pinchmill Primary School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.