Bedford Free School
Secondary · Free schools · Ages 11–16 · Bedford
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
0.60 miles
Published by Bedford Borough Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2024–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Bedford Free School is a secondary school in Bedford for ages 11–16 (free schools). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 24 April 2025. Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2024 to 2026 entry.
Bedford Free School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 0.60 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- The last child offered a Year 7 place in 2026 lived 0.60 miles away, the longest of the 3 years with a published distance.
- Among the 4 Bedford secondary schools with a published Year 7 2026 last distance (this one included), its 0.60 miles was the shortest; the middle figure was 1.79 miles.
- For Year 7 2026 there were 168 first-choice applications for 109 offers; 108 offers went to first-choice families and 60 first-choice families (36%) were not offered a place.
- 37% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths in 2024/25 (England 45%), 4th lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Bedford.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Bedford schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Cauldwell Street, Bedford, MK42 9AD
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 536 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 29.5% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 14.5
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 24 April 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils flourish at this school.”
- “They experience a high quality of education.”
- “They meet leaders’ exceptionally high expectations for their learning, personal development and behaviour.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 9 June 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 37% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 46.5 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 168 first-preference applications, 109 offers in total, 108 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Bedford.
- Bedford Academy 1.1 mi Good Last distance published
- Goldington Academy 1.3 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Biddenham International School and Sports College 1.3 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Daubeney Academy 1.5 mi Not judged Last distance published
- St Thomas More Catholic School 2.0 mi Good Last distance published
- Mark Rutherford School 2.3 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Kempston Academy 2.4 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Wixams Academy 3.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published