Academy sponsor led

Manshead Church of England Academy

Mixed · ages 11–19 · with sixth form · Church of EnglandCentral Bedfordshire, East of England · Luton LU1 4BBTrust: Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,134of 1,350 places
Free school meals
21.6%
Year 11 cohort 2025
180
Ofsted
Report card, 3 February 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Needs attentionAchievement Needs attentionAttendance and behaviour Needs attentionPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Needs attentionLeadership and governance Needs attentionPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Manshead School (URN 109705, until 20 January 2017).

What the data says

Of the 192 pupils who finished Year 11 at Manshead Church of England Academy in 2023, 34% stayed on in Manshead Church of England Academy’s own sixth form (Central Bedfordshire average 43%), 55% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 61 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 54% went to university (Central Bedfordshire 35%, England 37%), and 27% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

Religious Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 94% of the year group took it, against 31% of pupils across England.

A level grades average C-, well below the England average of B-; 9% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%). The largest A level subjects are Psychology, Business Studies and Mathematics.

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 Central Bedfordshire and England.

This school
Central Bedfordshire
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Pupils in the cohort1922,928607,348
Any sustained destination93%93%92%
Stayed in education92%88%86%
— school sixth form34%43%34%
— sixth form college2%2%13%
— further education college55%40%37%
— other education1%3%2%
Apprenticeship1%3%3%
Employment1%3%3%
No sustained destination5%5%6%
Destination unknown2%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

This school
Central Bedfordshire
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Students in the cohort611,931541,441
Any sustained destination85%80%79%
University (higher education)54%35%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students27%14%19%
Further education2%5%5%
Apprenticeship5%6%7%
Employment25%33%28%
No sustained destination8%15%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)43.043.646.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths37%42%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths56%65%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects11%28%41%
EBacc average point score3.643.754.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort21%18%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils33.528.934.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils45.546.750.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language18%8%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language17798%89%11%20%63%
Mathematics17698%88%17%22%63%
English Literature17396%86%13%21%60%
Religious Studies17094%31%22%32%65%
Combined Science14681%65%5%9%54%
History9653%41%18%26%57%
Geography6838%41%19%25%60%
Business Studies6838%18%15%20%75%
Physics2916%23%62%46%100%
Biology2916%23%48%45%100%
Chemistry2916%23%55%47%100%
Computer Science2715%13%7%30%48%
Fine Art2112%9%29%28%86%
Textiles1911%2%5%27%63%
Spanish137%19%46%27%85%
French127%18%25%29%75%
Polish53%1%84%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports Studies4974%
Health Studies3756%
Computer Appreciation / Introduction1421%
Beauty Care / Services1218%
Hospitality / Catering Studies1117%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study153
— of whom A level students661,152261,341
Average A level gradeC-C+B-
Average points per A level entry27.4232.6835.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsCC+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects9%14%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Psychology1726%23%
Business Studies1624%13%
Mathematics1523%31%
Economics1421%13%
Sociology1218%13%
Law1117%4%
History1015%13%
Physics1015%12%
Geography812%10%
Religious Studies812%4%
Biology812%20%
Computer Science69%5%
English Literature11%
Chemistry17%
Spanish2%
Further Mathematics5%
Politics6%
Fine Art3%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Finance / Accounting (General)VRQ Level 32436%
Social ScienceVRQ Level 31929%
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)1218%
Sports StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*711%
Mathematics (Numeracy)Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3711%
Speech and DramaVRQ Level 369%
Health StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*69%
Applied SciencesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3
Music performance: GroupVRQ Level 3

Other secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire

Cedars Upper School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,135 pupils

87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.5

Etonbury Academy

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,158 pupils

93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.5

Priory Academy

Academy converter · 830 pupils

93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.2

Queensbury Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,093 pupils

95% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.0

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.