Bedford Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,480 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.8
Academy converter
Sharnbrook Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,684of 1,950 places
- Free school meals
- 15.3%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 263
- Ofsted
- Inspected, 25 February 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Sharnbrook Upper School and Community College (URN 109706, until 1 February 2011).
What the data says
Of the 265 pupils who finished Year 11 at Sharnbrook Academy in 2023, 51% stayed on in Sharnbrook Academy’s own sixth form (Bedford average 39%), 37% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 203 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 47% went to university (Bedford 24%, England 37%), and 25% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Sociology is unusually popular at GCSE: 28% of the year group took it, against 4% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 51.6 against 46.1 across England and 44.4 in Bedford, with 59% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Bedford and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Sharnbrook Academy | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 265 | 2,196 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 94% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 51% | 39% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 37% | 47% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 4% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Sharnbrook Academy | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 203 | 4,022 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 77% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 47% | 24% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 25% | 9% | 19% |
| Further education | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 22% | 38% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 17% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Sharnbrook Academy | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 51.6 | 44.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 59% | 44% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 78% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 46% | 38% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.52 | 3.89 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 11% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 41.6 | 34.6 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 52.8 | 47.3 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 5% | 26% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 261 | 99% | 88% | 24% | 22% | 82% |
| English Language | 258 | 98% | 89% | 24% | 20% | 83% |
| English Literature | 258 | 98% | 86% | 24% | 21% | 82% |
| Religious Studies | 253 | 96% | 31% | 19% | 32% | 70% |
| Combined Science | 147 | 56% | 65% | 1% | 9% | 61% |
| History | 131 | 50% | 41% | 27% | 26% | 71% |
| Geography | 127 | 48% | 41% | 17% | 25% | 66% |
| Biology | 114 | 43% | 23% | 36% | 45% | 97% |
| Physics | 113 | 43% | 23% | 38% | 46% | 97% |
| Chemistry | 113 | 43% | 23% | 36% | 47% | 100% |
| Business Studies | 91 | 35% | 18% | 20% | 20% | 76% |
| Sociology | 73 | 28% | 4% | 36% | 21% | 75% |
| Spanish | 68 | 26% | 19% | 18% | 27% | 66% |
| Fine Art | 45 | 17% | 9% | 13% | 28% | 67% |
| Dance | 37 | 14% | 1% | 22% | 27% | 78% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 31 | 12% | 8% | 3% | 21% | 45% |
| French | 31 | 12% | 18% | 19% | 29% | 74% |
| Computer Science | 31 | 12% | 13% | 48% | 30% | 87% |
| Drama | 31 | 12% | 7% | 29% | 27% | 90% |
| Media Studies | 30 | 11% | 4% | 43% | 20% | 83% |
| German | 29 | 11% | 5% | 10% | 33% | 69% |
| Graphic Communication | 28 | 11% | 1% | 46% | 23% | 93% |
| Physical Education | 28 | 11% | 11% | 14% | 24% | 93% |
| Music | 21 | 8% | 5% | 19% | 33% | 71% |
| Design and Technology | 21 | 8% | 11% | 5% | 23% | 52% |
| Arabic | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Polish | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | 55 | 35% | — |
| Health Studies | 36 | 23% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 23 | 15% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 15 | 9% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Sharnbrook Academy | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 355 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 158 | 1,110 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 33.26 | 30.14 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | C | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 15% | 11% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 49 | 31% | 31% |
| Psychology | 39 | 25% | 23% |
| Business Studies | 29 | 18% | 13% |
| Sociology | 28 | 18% | 13% |
| Biology | 24 | 15% | 20% |
| Physics | 21 | 13% | 12% |
| Economics | 18 | 11% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 18 | 11% | 17% |
| Law | 17 | 11% | 4% |
| English Literature | 15 | 9% | 11% |
| Philosophy | 14 | 9% | 1% |
| Graphic Communication | 14 | 9% | 2% |
| History | 12 | 8% | 13% |
| Physical Education | 11 | 7% | 3% |
| Fine Art | 11 | 7% | 3% |
| Computer Science | 10 | 6% | 5% |
| Accounting/Finance | 10 | 6% | 1% |
| Photography | 10 | 6% | 3% |
| Film Studies | 9 | 6% | 2% |
| Product Design | 9 | 6% | 2% |
| Drama | 9 | 6% | 2% |
| English Language | 7 | 4% | 4% |
| Politics | 6 | 4% | 6% |
| Dance | 6 | 4% | 0% |
| Further Mathematics | 6 | 4% | 5% |
| Geography | 6 | 4% | 10% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
| Music Technology | — | — | 0% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
| Polish | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 13 | 8% | — |
| Film / Video / Television Production | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 12 | 8% | — |
| Small Business Management | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 12 | 8% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 9 | 6% | — |
| Film / Video / Television Production | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 5% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 4% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 7 | 4% | — |
Other secondary schools in Bedford
Bedford Free School
Free schools · 536 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.5
Biddenham International School and Sports College
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,422 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.1
Daubeney Academy
Academy converter · 576 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.5
Goldington Academy
Academy converter · 958 pupils
95% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.3
Kempston Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 773 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.3
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.