Kempston Academy
Secondary · Academy sponsor led · 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 🔒
Kempston Academy is a secondary school in Bedford for ages 11–18 (academy sponsor led). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 16 October 2024. Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2024 to 2026 entry.
Kempston Academy 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
- Every applicant for Year 7 in 2026 was offered a place, as at 7 of the 11 other Bedford secondary schools with a published Year 7 2026 outcome.
- Year 7 2026 had 105 first-choice applications for 118 offers; 13 offers went to families who ranked it second or lower.
- In 2024/25, 36% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), 2nd 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
- Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7EB
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–18
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 773 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 30.3% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 16
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 16 October 2024
Strengths
- “There is an increasing sense of pride across the school community.”
- “The school’s ‘GROW’ principles, including the focus on excellence and strong relationships, raise pupils’ aspirations.”
- “Standards are getting better across most subjects.”
To improve
- “This, coupled with previous curriculum weaknesses, resulted in Year 11 pupils’ attainment in 2023 examinations falling below the national average.”
- “Occasionally, pupils have gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed quickly, so they do not learn as much as they could.”
- “This is because some activities are not consistently matched well to the precise content that pupils need to secure, including for a few pupils with SEND.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 25 November 2024 (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) | 36% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 40.3 | 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: 105 first-preference applications, 118 offers in total, 105 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.
- Daubeney Academy 1.1 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Wootton Academy 1.7 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Biddenham International School and Sports College 1.9 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Wixams Academy 2.3 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Bedford Free School 2.4 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Bedford Academy 2.5 mi Good Last distance published
- Goldington Academy 3.6 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St Thomas More Catholic School 4.1 mi Good Last distance published