1
Bedford Free School
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK42 9AD
1
23 Mar 2020
Top 10 Secondary schools in Bedford
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2023)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the town of Bedford. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total secondary schools
13
Outstanding
1
Good
6
Median inspection year
2023
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 9% · G: 55% · RI: 36% · I: 0%
2
Redborne Upper School and Community College
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK45 2NU
2
10 Sep 2024
3
St Thomas More Catholic School
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK41 7UL
2
8 Nov 2023
4
Bedford Academy
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK42 9TR
2
16 May 2023
5
Goldington Academy
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK41 9BX
2
17 Mar 2022
6
Biddenham International School and Sports College
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK40 4AZ
2
30 Apr 2019
7
Kempston Academy
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK42 7EB
2
11 Oct 2018
8
Wixams Academy
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK42 6BA
3
9 Jun 2024
9
Mark Rutherford School
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK41 8PX
3
27 Jul 2023
10
Daubeney Academy
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK42 7PS
3
27 Apr 2023
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
Also highly rated nearby
- Sharnbrook Academy 3 • Nov 2022
- Lincroft Academy Not judged • Jan 2025
- Wootton Upper School Not judged • Nov 2024