Mark Rutherford School
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–18 · Bedford
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Bedford Borough Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2024–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Mark Rutherford School is a secondary school in Bedford for ages 11–18 (academy converter). Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2024 to 2026 entry.
Mark Rutherford 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 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| 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
- In Year 7 2026, there were 154 first-choice applications for 186 offers, with 0.8 first choices per offer, the lowest of 11 Bedford secondary schools.
- Every first-choice family was offered a Year 7 place in 2026, and 32 offers went to families who ranked the school second or lower.
- In 2024/25, 40% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), the 4th highest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Bedford.
- At A level in 2024/25, the average grade was C- (England B-), and progress from GCSE to A level was below average.
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
- Wentworth Drive, Bedford, MK41 8PX
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 1,150 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 28.3% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 14.7
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
No Ofsted grade Inspected 11 November 2025
Strengths
- “Leaders, staff and pupils at this school have changed its culture and ethos since the last inspection.”
- “Pupils routinely display the school's core values.”
- “They behave extremely well and exhibit a deep respect for each other.”
To improve
- “However, post-16 students have not historically achieved well.”
- “Many of these pupils arrive with very low levels of attendance.”
- “Post-16 published outcomes, however, show that students have not achieved well.”
Safeguarding: met
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 12 January 2026 (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) | 40% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 41.5 | 46 |
| A level average grade (2024/25) | C- | B- |
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: 154 first-preference applications, 186 offers in total, 154 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.
- Goldington Academy 1.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Thomas More Catholic School 1.2 mi Good Last distance published
- Bedford Free School 2.3 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Bedford Academy 2.9 mi Good Last distance published
- Biddenham International School and Sports College 3.1 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Lincroft Academy 3.7 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Daubeney Academy 3.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Kempston Academy 4.6 mi Standards maintained Last distance published