Education in Bedford
Unitary authorityThe west of the East of England. 196,398 people in 476 square kilometres.
2 layers about education for Bedford, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source.
Schools by council
Worked out by Open Index · 2026
Under 25250 or more
Bedford had 85 open schools in 2026, from nurseries to sixth form colleges.
Number of schools
CouncilGreat Britain only85
Worked out by Open Index · 2026
Bedford had 85 open schools in 2026, from nurseries to sixth form colleges.
Worked out by Open Index from the school lists of the Department for Education, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government.
Schools
Exact pointGreat Britain onlyPublished as points, so there is no single figure for Bedford. The map shows each one.
Schools in Bedford
Bedford has 85 open schools: 2 nursery, 54 primary, 13 secondary, 1 all-through, 5 special, 2 sixth form and further education, 7 independent and 1 pupil referral and alternative provision.
- Outstanding
- 2
- Good
- 25
- Requires improvement
- 0
- Inadequate
- 0
27 of the 73 schools in Ofsted's file have an overall grade from a graded inspection between January 2020 and July 2024.
15 schools have a report card from the renewed framework (from November 2025), which gives no overall grade.
13 schools had a graded inspection from September 2024, when Ofsted stopped giving an overall grade.
Ofsted says grades from different frameworks can't be compared, and an old grade may not describe a school today. Latest inspections as at 30 September 2026.
Schools rated Outstanding in Bedford
2 schools had Outstanding as the overall grade at their latest graded inspection, which is the date given. A later ungraded inspection, shown in the table, may say more.
Great Denham Primary School (May 2024), Bedford Free School (January 2020).
Nursery (2)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Trees Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 2 to 5 | 147 | Standards maintained, November 2024 |
| Peter Pan Nursery School | Local authority nursery school | 2 to 5 | 118 | School remains Outstanding, April 2023 |
Primary (54)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balliol Primary School | Community school | 2 to 11 | 355 | Good (overall), July 2022 |
| Bedford Road Primary Academy | Academy sponsor led | 5 to 11 | 365 | Report card, December 2025: safeguarding met |
| Brickhill Primary School | Community school | 5 to 11 | 209 | School remains Good, February 2024 |
| Broadmead Lower School | Community school | 4 to 9 | 228 | Good (overall), June 2023 |
| Bromham CofE Primary School | Voluntary controlled school | 4 to 11 | 496 | School remains Good, March 2023 |
| Camestone School | Community school | 4 to 11 | 408 | School remains Good, September 2022 |
| Carlton CofE Primary School | Voluntary controlled school | 2 to 11 | 87 | Graded inspection, November 2024: no overall grade |
| Cauldwell School | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 415 | Report card, November 2025: safeguarding met |
| Christopher Reeves CofE VA Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 4 to 11 | 70 | School remains Good, June 2024 |
| Cotton End Forest School | Community school | 2 to 11 | 435 | Graded inspection, May 2025: no overall grade |
| Edith Cavell Primary School | Foundation school | 3 to 11 | 292 | School remains Good, July 2024 |
| Eileen Wade Primary School | Foundation school | 4 to 11 | 70 | Report card, December 2025: safeguarding met |
| Elstow School | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 413 | Standards maintained, February 2025 |
| Goldington Green Academy | Academy converter | 2 to 11 | 576 | Graded inspection, January 2025: no overall grade |
| Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 176 | Good (overall), September 2022 |
| Great Denham Primary School | Foundation school | 3 to 11 | 677 | Outstanding (overall), May 2024 |
| Great Ouse Primary Academy | Free schools | 3 to 11 | 455 | Report card, June 2026: safeguarding met |
| Harrold Primary Academy | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 96 | Good (overall), September 2023 |
| Hazeldene School | Foundation school | 3 to 11 | 443 | Standards maintained, October 2024 |
| Kempston Rural Primary School | Community school | 5 to 11 | 439 | Good (overall), November 2023 |
| King's Oak Primary School | Community school | 1 to 11 | 826 | Report card, May 2026: safeguarding met |
| Kymbrook Primary School | Foundation school | 2 to 11 | 76 | School remains Good, July 2024 |
| Lakeview School | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 436 | Good (overall), October 2022, before the school changed |
| Livingstone Primary School | Foundation school | 2 to 11 | 457 | Good (overall), March 2023 |
| Milton Ernest CofE Primary School | Voluntary controlled school | 4 to 11 | 67 | School remains Good, November 2022 |
| Oakley Primary Academy | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 210 | Graded inspection, October 2024: no overall grade |
| Pinchmill Primary School | Foundation school | 2 to 11 | 88 | Graded inspection, May 2025: no overall grade |
| Priory Primary School | Foundation school | 3 to 11 | 214 | Graded inspection, November 2024: no overall grade |
| Putnoe Primary School | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 494 | Good (overall), July 2024 |
| Queen's Park Academy | Academy converter | 2 to 11 | 446 | Good (overall), May 2022 |
| Ravensden CofE Primary Academy | Academy sponsor led | 2 to 11 | 51 | Good (overall), July 2023 |
| Renhold VC Primary School | Voluntary controlled school | 3 to 11 | 191 | Graded inspection, February 2025: no overall grade |
| Riseley CofE Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 3 to 11 | 121 | Good (overall), March 2024 |
| Roxton Church of England Academy | Academy sponsor led | 3 to 11 | 70 | Good (overall), April 2023 |
| Scott Primary School & Nursery | Community school | 3 to 11 | 469 | School remains Good, June 2024 |
| Shackleton Primary School | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 487 | Report card, January 2026: safeguarding met |
| Sharnbrook Primary | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 216 | Good (overall), June 2024 |
| Sheerhatch Primary School | Community school | 4 to 11 | 129 | Report card, January 2026: safeguarding met |
| Shortstown Primary School | Academy converter | 2 to 11 | 479 | Report card, February 2026: safeguarding met |
| Springfield Primary School | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 365 | Good (overall), June 2022 |
| St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 271 | Good (overall), October 2023 |
| St James' CofE Academy | Academy converter | 5 to 11 | 194 | Standards maintained, February 2025 |
| St John Rigby Catholic Primary School | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 268 | Good (overall), September 2023 |
| St Lawrence Church of England Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 3 to 11 | 123 | Report card, April 2026: safeguarding met |
| The Hills Academy | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 442 | Standards maintained, March 2025Good (overall), February 2020 |
| Thurleigh Primary School | Foundation school | 3 to 11 | 92 | Good (overall), April 2024 |
| Turvey Primary School | Foundation school | 5 to 11 | 81 | School remains Good, November 2022 |
| Ursula Taylor Church of England School | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | 350 | Graded inspection, April 2025: no overall grade |
| Westfield Primary School | Community school | 3 to 11 | 298 | Report card, June 2026: safeguarding met |
| Wilden CofE VA Primary School | Voluntary aided school | 2 to 11 | 45 | Good (overall), July 2024 |
| Willow Grove Primary School | Free schools | 4 to 11 | 104 | No outcome in Ofsted's file |
| Wilstead Primary School | Academy converter | 4 to 11 | Good (overall), October 2023, before the school changed | |
| Wixams Tree Primary Academy | Free schools | 4 to 11 | 559 | Good (overall), April 2024 |
| Wootton Primary School | Academy converter | 3 to 11 | 731 | School remains Good, March 2024 |
Secondary (13)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Academy | Academy sponsor led | 11 to 18 | 1,480 | Good (overall), March 2023 |
| Bedford Free School | Free schools | 11 to 16 | 536 | Standards maintained, April 2025Outstanding (overall), January 2020 |
| Biddenham International School and Sports College | Foundation school | 11 to 18 | 1,422 | Standards maintained, November 2024 |
| Daubeney Academy | Academy converter | 11 to 16 | 576 | Graded inspection, July 2025: no overall grade |
| Goldington Academy | Academy converter | 11 to 16 | 958 | Report card, May 2026: safeguarding met |
| Kempston Academy | Academy sponsor led | 11 to 18 | 773 | Standards maintained, October 2024 |
| Lincroft Academy | Academy converter | 11 to 16 | 923 | Graded inspection, December 2024: no overall grade |
| Mark Rutherford School | Academy converter | 11 to 18 | 1,150 | Report card, November 2025: safeguarding met |
| Marston Vale Middle School | Academy converter | 9 to 13 | 563 | Graded inspection, October 2024: no overall grade |
| Sharnbrook Academy | Academy converter | 11 to 18 | 1,684 | Graded inspection, February 2025: no overall grade |
| St Thomas More Catholic School | Academy converter | 11 to 18 | 893 | Good (overall), October 2023 |
| Wixams Academy | Free schools | 11 to 19 | 903 | Report card, March 2026: safeguarding met |
| Wootton Academy | Academy converter | 11 to 19 | 822 | Graded inspection, November 2024: no overall grade |
All-through (1)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Newnham School | Academy converter | 4 to 16 | 624 | Report card, March 2026: safeguarding met |
Special (5)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School | Other independent special school | 7 to 19 | 10 | No outcome in Ofsted's file |
| Grange Academy | Academy special converter | 5 to 18 | 161 | Report card, June 2026: safeguarding met |
| Ridgeway School | Community special school | 2 to 19 | 125 | Standards maintained, April 2025 |
| Rivertree Free School | Free schools special | 2 to 19 | 126 | No outcome in Ofsted's file |
| St John's School | Academy special converter | 2 to 19 | 178 | Good (overall), September 2023 |
Sixth form and further education (2)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford College | Further education | 16 to 99 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file | |
| Kimberley 16 - 19 Stem College | Free schools 16 to 19 | 16 to 19 | 749 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
Independent (7)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Girls' School | Other independent school | 7 to 18 | 843 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Bedford Greenacre Independent School | Other independent school | 0 to 18 | 775 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Bedford Modern School | Other independent school | 7 to 18 | 1,219 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Bedford School | Other independent school | 7 to 19 | 994 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| KWS School | Other independent school | 11 to 18 | 18 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School | Other independent school | 0 to 7 | 297 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
| Polam School | Other independent school | 1 to 9 | 99 | Not in Ofsted's state-funded schools file |
Pupil referral and alternative provision (1)
| School | Type | Ages | Pupils | Latest Ofsted inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greys Education Centre | Academy alternative provision converter | 5 to 16 | 57 | Good (overall), February 2024 |
Ofsted inspects state-funded schools; independent schools and colleges are inspected separately and show no outcome here.
Source: Get Information About Schools (Department for Education), edubasealldata20261015.csv; Ofsted, latest inspections as at 30 September 2026.