Schools in Central Bedfordshire
106 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 Central Bedfordshire
Primary
-
Offered their first choice
90.3%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 93.0% in 2016.
-
Offered one of their three
97.7%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
3,678
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
For September 2026, 90.3% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 97.7% were offered one of the three schools they named.
That is 2.8 points lower than in 2016, when it was 93.0%.
The council's primary schools between them had 4,158 places for 3,678 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.
Secondary
-
Offered their first choice
91.0%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 98.6% in 2016.
-
Offered one of their three
95.9%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
1,502
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
For September 2026, 91.0% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 95.9% were offered one of the three schools they named.
That is 7.6 points lower than in 2016, when it was 98.6%.
The council's secondary schools between them had 1,710 places for 1,502 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 Central Bedfordshire lodged 248 appeals about a school place.
189 of them were heard by a panel and 47 succeeded, which is about 25 in every 100 heard.
The other 59 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 Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.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.
Secondary
| School | 1st prefs per place | Demand since | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints Academy Dunstable
Dunstable |
- | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Cedars Upper School
Leighton Buzzard |
0.80 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Harlington Upper School
Dunstable |
0.91 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Houstone School
Dunstable |
- | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Manshead Church of England Academy
Luton |
- | - | Needs attention Ofsted report card (current framework) |
| Queensbury Academy
Dunstable |
- | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Redborne Upper School and Community College
Bedford |
1.07 | - | Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Samuel Whitbread Academy
Shefford |
1.02 | - | School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection |
| Sandy Secondary School
Sandy |
- | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Stratton School
Biggleswade |
1.02 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Vandyke Upper School
Leighton Buzzard |
1.15 | - | School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection |
Elsewhere
- Most sought-after schools in Central Bedfordshire by first preferences per place
- Schools in LU1 (14)
- Schools in LU3 (16)
- Schools in LU4 (14)
- Schools in LU5 (15)
- Schools in LU6 (13)
- Schools in LU7 (21)
- Schools in MK17 (13)
- Schools in MK43 (16)
- Schools in MK44 (13)
- Schools in MK45 (16)
- Schools in SG16 (3)
- Schools in SG17 (5)
- Schools in SG18 (9)
- Schools in SG19 (11)
- Schools in SG5 (13)
- What data we hold