Schools in Bedford

65 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in Bedford

Primary

Offered their first choice 93.4%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 89.7% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 98.4%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,990
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 93.4% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 98.4% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 3.8 points higher than in 2016, when it was 89.7%.

The council's primary schools between them had 2,655 places for 1,990 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 90.6%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 89.4% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 99.0%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 2,095
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 90.6% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 99.0% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 1.2 points higher than in 2016, when it was 89.4%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 2,556 places for 2,095 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Bedford lodged 105 appeals about a school place.

76 of them were heard by a panel and 27 succeeded, which is about 36 in every 100 heard.

The other 29 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

All Through

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Castle Newnham School Bedford	0.78	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in Bedford by first preferences per place
Schools in MK40 (9)
Schools in MK41 (14)
Schools in MK42 (17)
Schools in MK43 (16)
Schools in MK44 (13)
Schools in MK45 (16)
Schools in NN10 (11)
Schools in NN29 (6)
Schools in PE28 (18)
What data we hold