OFSTED
3 March 2023
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
BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,657
1,657 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
740
44.7% of pupils
Male pupils
917
55.3% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
14.0 pts
below England
School
10.8%
Central Bedfordshire
14.8%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
17.9 pts
below England
School
2.4%
Central Bedfordshire
10.7%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
2.2 pts
above England
School
3.2%
Central Bedfordshire
2.0%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
84.0%
1,392
Any other White background
3.0%
50
White and Asian
2.5%
41
Any other Mixed background
2.3%
38
White and Black Caribbean
2.2%
37
White and Black African
1.6%
27
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
17.6%
292 of
1,657 pupils
3.2 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
2.6 pts
below
England
6.0%
0.6 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
46.7
7.5 pts
above England
Latest published: -0.13 · 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
10.56%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
4.34 pts
higher than
England
School
10.56%
Central Bedfordshire
5.90%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
27.50%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
11.69 pts
higher than
England
School
27.50%
Central Bedfordshire
14.22%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
5.78%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
3.97 pts
higher than
England
School
5.78%
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
100.4%
8.1 pts
above England
Samuel Whitbread Academy
100.4%
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.