Best 3 Secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire – comparison
Comparison of secondary schools: Redborne Upper School and Community College (Secondary) in Bedford; Harlington Upper School (Secondary) in Dunstable; Cedars Upper School (Secondary) in Leighton Buzzard — covering Ofsted outcomes, size, FSM%, governance, capacity & more.
At a glance
This page compares Redborne Upper School and Community College, Harlington Upper School and Cedars Upper School. They are secondary phase and academy converter type located around Bedford, Bedfordshire, Dunstable, Bedfordshire and Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. The strongest headline Ofsted judgement here is 2 (Redborne Upper School and Community College), published Sep 2024. The most recent inspection on record is for Redborne Upper School and Community College (Sep 2024). average roll around ≈ 1,300, combined total ≈ 3,850, typical FSM 10–15%, range 10–15%–10–15%; spread across trusts such as THE PYRAMID SCHOOLS TRUST and Chiltern Learning Trust.
| Attribute |
Redborne Upper School and Community College
MK45 2NU
|
Harlington Upper School
LU5 6NX
|
Cedars Upper School
LU7 2AE
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase / Type | Secondary • Academy converter | Secondary • Academy converter | Secondary • Academy converter |
| Location |
Bedford Bedfordshire MK45 2NU |
Dunstable Bedfordshire LU5 6NX |
Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire LU7 2AE |
| Latest Ofsted | 2 10 Sep 2024 | 2 14 Jan 2024 | 2 14 Jun 2023 |
| Ofsted report | — | — | — |
| Pupils (roll) | ≈ 1,600 🔒 Unlock exact pupils | ≈ 1,200 🔒 Unlock exact pupils | ≈ 1,050 🔒 Unlock exact pupils |
| FSM % | 10–15% 🔒 Unlock exact FSM % | 10–15% 🔒 Unlock exact FSM % | 10–15% 🔒 Unlock exact FSM % |
| Capacity | 1418 | 1360 | 1350 |
| Capacity utilisation | Over capacity 🔒 View exact % | Under capacity 🔒 View exact % | Under capacity 🔒 View exact % |
| Age range | — | — | — |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective | Non-selective | Non-selective |
| Trust / Local authority | Central Bedfordshire (823) | THE PYRAMID SCHOOLS TRUST | Chiltern Learning Trust |
| Website | redbornecommunitycollege.com | www.harlington.org | www.cedarsupper.org.uk |
| Telephone | 01525404462 | 01525755100 | 01525219300 |
| SEN provision | None reported | None reported | None reported |
| Profile | View profile | View profile | View profile |
- Phase / Type
- Secondary • Academy converter
- Location
- Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK45 2NU - Ofsted
- 2 10 Sep 2024
- Pupils
- ≈ 1,600 🔒 Exact value
- FSM %
- 10–15% 🔒 Exact %
- Trust / LA
- Central Bedfordshire (823)
- Website
- redbornecommunitycollege.com
- Telephone
- 01525404462
- Phase / Type
- Secondary • Academy converter
- Location
- Dunstable
Bedfordshire
LU5 6NX - Ofsted
- 2 14 Jan 2024
- Pupils
- ≈ 1,200 🔒 Exact value
- FSM %
- 10–15% 🔒 Exact %
- Trust / LA
- THE PYRAMID SCHOOLS TRUST
- Website
- www.harlington.org
- Telephone
- 01525755100
- Phase / Type
- Secondary • Academy converter
- Location
- Leighton Buzzard
Bedfordshire
LU7 2AE - Ofsted
- 2 14 Jun 2023
- Pupils
- ≈ 1,050 🔒 Exact value
- FSM %
- 10–15% 🔒 Exact %
- Trust / LA
- Chiltern Learning Trust
- Website
- www.cedarsupper.org.uk
- Telephone
- 01525219300
For parents & carers
Export this comparison & share it at home
Keep your shortlist organised with one-click exports to PDF and Excel — plus ad-free browsing and deeper filters.
Families often subscribe for a short research period, export what they need, then cancel once they’re confident.
- Printable PDF — great for family discussions and open-day planning.
- Excel export — add your own notes, rank schools and keep a shortlist.
- Profile exports — save individual school pages to PDF/Excel when you’re comparing many options.
- Deeper filters — narrow down realistic options faster (area, type, phase, trust and more).
What you get immediately
After joining, you unlock all Pro features — including exporting this exact comparison plus any other comparisons and school profiles you view (PDF & Excel).
🔒 Secure Stripe payments · Cancel anytime · No impact on admissions outcomes