Biddenham International School and Sports College
Biddenham Turn, Bedford, MK40 4AZ
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Foundation school
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Headteacher
- Mr David Bailey
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Constituency
- Bedford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,500
- Pupils on roll
- 1,422
- URN
- 109690
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01234342521
About this school
Biddenham International School and Sports College is a foundation secondary school in Bedford. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 1,422 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Biddenham International School and Sports College, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 27 November 2024, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 191 | 192 | 198 |
| Attainment 8 score | 41.4 | 40.4 | 42.1 |
| Progress 8 score | +0.29 +0.07 to +0.50 | +0.12 -0.09 to +0.33 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 30% | 28.1% | 35.9% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 53% | 51.6% | 56.6% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 12% | 16.7% | 15.7% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Biddenham International School and Sports College has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Bedford average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 41.4 | 38 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 40.4 | 38.5 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 42.1 | 36.6 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 11.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 9.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 8.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,275 |
| 2023/24 | 1,353 |
| 2024/25 | 1,357 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Biddenham International School and Sports College compares
Biddenham International School and Sports College ranked 10th of 13 secondary schools in Bedford for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 46% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 13% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 42.1 | 8.8% | 35.3% | 1,422 | — |
| Bedford Free School | 46.5 | 7.7% | 28.6% | 536 | 1.3 miles |
| Daubeney Academy | 38.5 | 6.8% | 26.7% | 576 | 1.7 miles |
| Kempston Academy | 40.3 | 8.7% | 30% | 773 | 1.9 miles |
| Castle Newnham School | 42.7 | 7.6% | 20.1% | 744 | 2.0 miles |
| St Thomas More Catholic School | 47 | 10.2% | 21.2% | 893 | 2.2 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 35.3%
- English as an additional language
- 49.4%
- Overall absence
- 8.77%
- Persistent absence
- 27.3%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Bedford Free School1.3 miles
Secondary · Bedford
-
Daubeney Academy1.7 miles
Secondary · Bedford
-
Kempston Academy1.9 miles
Secondary · Bedford
-
Castle Newnham School2.0 miles
Secondary · Bedford
-
St Thomas More Catholic School2.2 miles
Secondary · Bedford
Other schools in Bedford
Biddenham International School and Sports College ranks 11th of the 14 ranked secondary schools in Bedford.
- Bedford Academy Secondary
- Bedford Free School Secondary
- Castle Newnham School Secondary
- Daubeney Academy Secondary
- Goldington Academy Secondary
- Kempston Academy Secondary
- Lincroft Academy Secondary
- Mark Rutherford School Secondary
- Redborne Upper School and Community College Secondary
- Sharnbrook Academy Secondary
- St Thomas More Catholic School Secondary
- Wixams Academy Secondary
Common questions
- What ages does Biddenham International School and Sports College teach?
- Biddenham International School and Sports College teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Bedford.
- Who is the headteacher of Biddenham International School and Sports College?
- The headteacher of Biddenham International School and Sports College is Mr David Bailey, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Biddenham International School and Sports College been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Biddenham International School and Sports College, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Biddenham International School and Sports College?
- Biddenham International School and Sports College has 1,422 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
- Is Biddenham International School and Sports College full?
- Biddenham International School and Sports College has capacity for 1,500 pupils and 1,422 on roll (95%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Biddenham International School and Sports College a faith school?
- No. Biddenham International School and Sports College has no designated religious character.
- Is Biddenham International School and Sports College a selective school?
- No. Biddenham International School and Sports College is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- How have Biddenham International School and Sports College's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 41.4 in 2022/23 and 42.1 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Biddenham International School and Sports College compare with other schools in Bedford?
- Biddenham International School and Sports College ranked 10th of 13 secondary schools in Bedford for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 46% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 13% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Biddenham International School and Sports College's absence rate?
- Biddenham International School and Sports College's overall absence rate is 8.8% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Biddenham International School and Sports College's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Biddenham International School and Sports College's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.