OFSTED
24 January 2024
Latest ungraded inspection
Latest published outcome
School remains Good
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Central Bedfordshire
Trust
VANDYKE UPPER SCHOOL
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,517
1,517 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
757
49.9% of pupils
Male pupils
760
50.1% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
10.6 pts
below England
School
14.2%
Central Bedfordshire
14.8%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
13.4 pts
below England
School
6.9%
Central Bedfordshire
10.7%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
3.6 pts
above England
School
4.6%
Central Bedfordshire
2.0%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
75.5%
1,145
Unclassified
7.2%
109
Any other White background
5.9%
89
Any other Mixed background
2.0%
31
White and Black Caribbean
1.7%
26
White and Asian
1.6%
24
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
16.5%
250 of
1,517 pupils
4.3 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
2.9 pts
below
England
6.0%
1.4 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
48.2
9.0 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.01 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
7.83%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.61 pts
higher than
England
School
7.83%
Central Bedfordshire
5.90%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
20.69%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
4.87 pts
higher than
England
School
20.69%
Central Bedfordshire
14.22%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
2.90%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.10 pts
higher than
England
School
2.90%
Central Bedfordshire
1.77%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
105.3%
13.0 pts
above England
Vandyke Upper School
105.3%
Central Bedfordshire
84.4%
East of England
92.9%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.