1
Redborne Upper School and Community College
Bedford • Bedfordshire • MK45 2NU
2
10 Sep 2024
Top 10 Secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2023)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the district of Central Bedfordshire. 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
0
Good
7
Median inspection year
2023
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 0% · G: 70% · RI: 30% · I: 0%
2
Harlington Upper School
Dunstable • Bedfordshire • LU5 6NX
2
14 Jan 2024
3
Cedars Upper School
Leighton Buzzard • Bedfordshire • LU7 2AE
2
14 Jun 2023
4
Manshead Church of England Academy
Luton • Bedfordshire • LU1 4BB
2
18 Oct 2021
5
Henlow Church of England Academy
Henlow • Bedfordshire • SG16 6AN
2
27 Oct 2019
6
Samuel Whitbread Academy
Shefford • Bedfordshire • SG17 5QS
2
11 Dec 2017
7
Vandyke Upper School
Leighton Buzzard • Bedfordshire • LU7 3DY
2
16 Apr 2015
8
Fulbrook School
Milton Keynes • Bedfordshire • MK17 8NP
3
7 Mar 2024
9
Sandy Secondary School
Sandy • Bedfordshire • SG19 1BL
3
28 Mar 2023
10
Stratton School
Biggleswade • Bedfordshire • SG18 8JB
3
6 Nov 2022
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
- Queensbury Academy Not judged • Jan 2025
- All Saints Academy Dunstable Not judged • Dec 2024