Schools in Central Bedfordshire
Central Bedfordshire at a glance
- Schools
- 124 95 state primary, 27 state secondary and 2 private. DfE Get Information about Schools, 17 October 2026.
- Good or Outstanding
- 95% 97 of the 102 state schools whose latest Ofsted inspection gave a grade. 15 more have the new report card, which gives no single grade. Ofsted, latest inspections.
- Oversubscribed in 2026
- 31 Of 103 state schools with DfE figures for 2026: more first preferences than places at entry (Reception or Year 7). DfE, school applications and offers, 2026.
- Offer distances held
- 0% How far the last place reached on offer day: held for 0 of 122 state schools that take an intake. Central Bedfordshire's published offer-day figures.
The best schools in Central Bedfordshire
Primary
| Place in Central Bedfordshire | School | Town | Band in England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lark Rise Academy | Dunstable | Top 25% |
| 2 | Leighton Middle School | Leighton Buzzard | Top 25% |
| 3 | Linslade School | Leighton Buzzard | Top half |
| 4 | Thornhill Primary School | Dunstable | Top half |
| 5 | Derwent Primary School | Henlow | Top half |
| 6 | Raynsford Church of England Academy | Henlow | Top half |
| 7 | Pix Brook Academy | Stotfold | Top half |
| 8 | Priory Academy | Dunstable | Top half |
| 9 | St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Luton | Top half |
| 10 | Caddington Village School | Luton | Lower half |
Ranked on three years of results, progress first, the same measures as the full Central Bedfordshire primary table (method). Source: DfE, key stage 2 school performance tables; table built 16 October 2026.
Secondary (GCSE)
| Place in Central Bedfordshire | School | Town | Band in England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etonbury Academy | Arlesey | Top half |
| 2 | Redborne Upper School and Community College | Bedford | Top half |
| 3 | Vandyke Upper School | Leighton Buzzard | Top half |
| 4 | Cedars Upper School | Leighton Buzzard | Top half |
| 5 | Samuel Whitbread Academy | Shefford | Lower half |
| 6 | Priory Academy | Dunstable | Lower half |
| 7 | Harlington Upper School | Dunstable | Lower half |
| 8 | Pix Brook Academy | Stotfold | Lower half |
| 9 | Fulbrook School | Milton Keynes | Lower half |
| 10 | Sandy Secondary School | Sandy | Lower half |
Ranked on three years of results, progress first, the same measures as the full Central Bedfordshire secondary table (method). Source: DfE, key stage 4 school performance tables; table built 16 October 2026.
Towns
- Ampthill 1 school · best schools
- Arlesey 2 schools · best schools
- Aspley Guise 1 school · best schools
- Bedford 22 schools
- Biggleswade 11 schools · best schools
- Clophill 1 school · best schools
- Dunstable 27 schools · best schools
- Fairfield Park 1 school · best schools
- Greenfield 1 school · best schools
- Henlow 4 schools · best schools
- Hitchin 3 schools · best schools
- Husborne Crawley 1 school · best schools
- Leighton Buzzard 20 schools · best schools
- Luton 6 schools · best schools
- Marston Moreteyne 1 school · best schools
- Milton Keynes 3 schools
- Near Shefford 1 school · best schools
- Nr Sandy 1 school · best schools
- Sandy 7 schools · best schools
- Shefford 5 schools · best schools
- Stotfold 1 school · best schools
- Studham 1 school · best schools
- Sutton 1 school
- Woburn 1 school · best schools
Getting in
Starting Reception in September 2027
| Date | What | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2027 | Primary applications close | Apply to your home council (where you live), listing your schools in order of preference. A late application is looked at after every on-time one. | Central Bedfordshire council |
| 16 April 2027 | Primary offer day | Offers arrive by email from your home council. Check which school you were offered. | Central Bedfordshire council |
Starting secondary school (Year 7) in September 2027
| Date | What | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 October 2026 | Secondary applications close | Apply to your home council (where you live), listing your schools in order of preference. A late application is looked at after every on-time one. | Central Bedfordshire council |
| 1 March 2027 | Secondary offer day | Offers arrive by email from your home council. Check which school you were offered. | Central Bedfordshire council |
Every Central Bedfordshire admission date · After offer day in Central Bedfordshire: replies, waiting lists and appeals
We hold no catchment maps for Central Bedfordshire. Many schools here admit by distance; the catchment finder says which maps cover a postcode.
Offer-day distances (how far the last place reached) are held for 0 of 122 state schools (0%). Could we get in? sets your distance beside them.
Private schools, fees and childcare
Private school fees in Central Bedfordshire: we hold checked fees for 0 of 2 private schools.
Childcare costs, town by town: 78 nurseries and pre-schools in Central Bedfordshire, with fees held for 10. Nurseries in Central Bedfordshire by Ofsted rating.
Every school in Central Bedfordshire, A to Z by town
Ampthill
Arlesey
Aspley Guise
Bedford
- Alameda Middle School
- Arnold Academy
- Cranfield Church of England Academy
- Flitwick Lower School
- Gravenhurst Academy
- Haynes Lower School
- Holywell School
- Houghton Conquest Primary School
- John Donne Church of England Primary School
- Kingsmoor Lower School
- Lidlington Primary School
- Maulden Lower School
- Moggerhanger Primary School
- Orchard School & Nursery
- Ramsey Manor Lower School
- Redborne Upper School and Community College
- Ridgmont Lower School
- Silsoe CofE VC Lower School
- Templefield Lower School
- The Firs Lower School
- Westoning Lower School
- Woodland Middle School Academy
Biggleswade
- Biggleswade Academy
- Caldecote Church of England Academy
- Dunton CofE Junior School
- Edward Peake CofE VC School
- Langford Village Academy
- Lawnside Academy
- Northill CofE Academy
- OneSchool Global UK - Biggleswade Campus
- Southill Lower School
- St Andrew's CofE VC Primary School
- Stratton School
Central Bedfordshire
Clophill
Dunstable
- All Saints Academy Dunstable
- Ardley Hill Academy
- Ashton St Peter's VA C of E School
- Beecroft Academy
- Dunstable Icknield Lower School
- Eaton Bray Academy
- Hadrian Academy
- Harlington Lower School
- Harlington Upper School
- Houghton Regis Primary School
- Houstone School
- Kensworth Church of England Academy
- Lancot School
- Lark Rise Academy
- Parkfields Middle School
- Priory Academy
- Queensbury Academy
- St Christophers Academy
- St Vincent's Catholic Primary School
- St. Augustine's Academy
- The Vale Academy
- Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy
- Thornhill Primary School
- Tithe Farm Primary School
- Toddington St George Church of England School
- Totternhoe Church of England Academy
- Watling Lower School
Fairfield Park
Greenfield
Henlow
- Derwent Primary School
- Henlow Church of England Academy
- Raynsford Church of England Academy
- Stondon Lower School
Hitchin
Husborne Crawley
Leighton Buzzard
- Beaudesert Lower School
- Brooklands Middle School
- Cedars Upper School
- Clipstone Brook Lower School
- Dovery Academy
- Gilbert Inglefield Academy
- Greenleas School
- Heathwood Lower School
- Hockliffe Lower School
- Leedon Lower School
- Leighton Middle School
- Linslade Lower School
- Linslade School
- Pulford CofE VA Lower School
- Southcott Lower School
- St Leonards CE Academy
- Stanbridge Lower School
- The Mary Bassett Lower School
- The Rushmere Park Academy
- Vandyke Upper School
Luton
- Caddington Village School
- Chalton Lower School
- Manshead Church of England Academy
- Slip End Village School
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School
- Sundon Lower School
Marston Moreteyne
Milton Keynes
Near Shefford
Nr Sandy
Sandy
- Laburnum Primary School
- Maple Tree Primary School
- Potton Primary School
- Robert Peel Primary School
- Sandy Secondary School
- St Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School
- Wrestlingworth CofE Infant School
Shefford
- Campton Academy
- Meppershall Church of England Academy
- Robert Bloomfield Academy
- Samuel Whitbread Academy
- Shefford Lower School
Stotfold
Studham
Sutton
Woburn
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