Bedford School
De Parys Avenue, Bedford, MK40 2TU
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 7 to 19
- Gender
- Boys
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr James Hodgson
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Constituency
- Bedford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,200
- Pupils on roll
- 994
- URN
- 109718
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01234362200
About this school
Bedford School is a Church of England boys' independent school in Bedford. It teaches children aged 7 to 19 and has 994 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Bedford School under its current framework. 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
Bedford School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in January 1908, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 154 | 155 | 147 |
| Attainment 8 score | 14.2 | 14.6 | 14.6 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
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 Bedford School 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 | 14.2 | 38 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 14.6 | 38.5 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 14.6 | 36.6 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,116 |
| 2023/24 | 1,113 |
| 2024/25 | 1,070 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 1
- Pupils on SEN support
- 285
Location
Nearby schools
-
Polam School0.6 miles
Independent schools · Bedford
-
Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School0.6 miles
Independent schools · Bedford
-
Bedford Girls' School0.6 miles
Independent schools · Bedford
-
Bedford Modern School0.9 miles
Independent schools · Bedford
-
Bedford Greenacre Independent School1.1 miles
Independent schools · Bedford
Other schools in Bedford
- Bedford Girls' School Independent schools
- Bedford Greenacre Independent School Independent schools
- Bedford Modern School Independent schools
- KWS School Independent schools
- Orchard School & Nursery Independent schools
- Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School Independent schools
- Polam School Independent schools
- Cherry Trees Nursery School Nursery
- Peter Pan Nursery School Nursery
- Balliol Primary School Primary
- Bedford Road Primary Academy Primary
- Brickhill Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Bedford School teach?
- Bedford School teaches children aged 7 to 19. It is an independent school in Bedford.
- Who is the headteacher of Bedford School?
- The headteacher of Bedford School is Mr James Hodgson, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Bedford School been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Bedford School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How big is Bedford School?
- Bedford School has 994 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 7 to 19.
- Is Bedford School full?
- Bedford School has capacity for 1,200 pupils and 994 on roll (83%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Bedford School a faith school?
- Yes. Bedford School is designated Church of England.
- How have Bedford School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 14.2 in 2022/23 and 14.6 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Bedford School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Bedford School'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 24 July 2026.