Bedford
Kempston Academy
GCSE results 2026: every Bedford school ranked · how England did
Dependable results for a comprehensive intake; the journey is the main thing to weigh.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 38.4 is below the national average of around 46. Compare with progress data, which may show a different picture.
- 38.4
- Attainment 8
- 29%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Progress is close to average or statistically uncertain because the confidence interval crosses zero. This does not necessarily mean the school adds or detracts from pupil progress.
- -0.09
- Progress 8
- [-0.33, 0.16]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Starting school in September 2027
- Secondary (Year 7): apply by 31 October 2026; offers on 1 March 2027.
National dates for England. You apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 118 | 105 | 105 (100%) | 212 |
| September 2025 | 143 | 89 | 89 (100%) | 168 |
| September 2024 | 138 | 108 | 108 (100%) | 174 |
| September 2023 | 157 | 137 | 137 (100%) | 200 |
| September 2022 | 144 | 114 | 114 (100%) | 160 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Bedford’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25 or 2025/26)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2024-2025 tables | 36 | Not published | Not published | 0% England 19% |
| 2020/21 2023-2024 tables | 25 | Not published | Not published | 0% England 24% |
| 2019/20 2022-2023 tables | 24 | 0% England 1% | 4% England 18% | 4% England 20% |
| 2018/19 2021-2022 tables | 24 | 0% England 1% | 0% England 15% | 0% England 17% |
| 2017/18 2020-2021 tables | 45 | 0% England 1% | 4% England 16% | 7% England 18% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 158 | 38.4 | — | 29.1% | 5.7% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 166 | 40.3 | — | 35.5% | — | 35.5% | 3.5 |
| 2023/2024 | 143 | 37.3 | -0.09 | 32.2% | — | 59.4% | 3.3 |
| 2022/2023 | 75 | 35.5 | -0.20 | 18.7% | — | 17.3% | 3.0 |
| 2021/2022 | 68 | 37.7 | -0.11 | — | — | 31.0% | 3.1 |
EBacc figures stop at 2024/2025: the DfE no longer publishes them from 2025/2026.
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Bedford for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 142387 |
| Local authority | Bedford |
| Region | East of England |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Academy sponsor led |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Headteacher | Paul House |
| Trust | CHILTERN LEARNING TRUST |
| Admissions | Non-selective |
| Religious character | None |
| Postcode | MK42 7EB |
| Pupils | 824 |
| FSM eligible | 28.9% |
Contact and identifiers
Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7EB
https://www.kempstonacademy.co.uk/View local authority page1234290900| DfE number | 4004 |
| UKPRN | 10054144 |
| Opened | 1 Nov 2015 |
| GIAS updated | 11 Mar 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 11 Mar 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | — |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | — |
| Behaviour and attitudes | — |
| Personal development | — |
| Leadership and management | — |
| Safeguarding | — |
| Inspection type | — |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | — |
| Publication date | — |