Find the best secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas, GCSE results and Progress 8.
Central Bedfordshire has 15 secondary schools, all in Central Bedfordshire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 15, 4 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Central Bedfordshire secondary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Cedars Upper School | sixth form | 3.7 / 5 |
| Vandyke Upper School | sixth form | 3.7 / 5 |
| Redborne Upper School and Community College | sixth form | 3.6 / 5 |
| Harlington Upper School | sixth form | 3.5 / 5 |
| Sandy Secondary School | sixth form | 3.5 / 5 |
| Priory Academy | all-through | 3.4 / 5 |
| Henlow Church of England Academy | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Houstone School | Mixed |
There are 15 secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
Apply by 31 October in your child's Year 6, for a place starting the following September. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 1 March, or the next working day.
No. None of the 15 secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire selects pupils by ability.
Of the 15 secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire, 10 have a sixth form. Students at a school that stops at 16 apply separately for sixth form, either at another school or at a college.
Of the 15 secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire, 4 have a religious character: 4 Church of England. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Cedars Upper School (3.7), Vandyke Upper School (3.7), Redborne Upper School and Community College (3.6), (3.5) and (3.5). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and GCSE results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. All 15 schools here have a rating.
| 3.3 / 5 |
| Samuel Whitbread Academy | sixth form | 3.3 / 5 |
| Fulbrook School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| All Saints Academy Dunstable | Church of England, sixth form | 3.0 / 5 |
| Stratton School | sixth form | 3.0 / 5 |
| Queensbury Academy | sixth form | 2.8 / 5 |
| Manshead Church of England Academy | Church of England, sixth form | 2.8 / 5 |
| Edward Peake CofE VC School | Church of England | 2.6 / 5 |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you.