Goldington Academy

School overview

Goldington Academy is a secondary school serving Bedford, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. It has 942 pupils aged 11 to 16 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Goldington Academy 'Good'. In the most recent GCSE results, pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 54.3, above the national average of 46. Results have held broadly steady on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it among the top 16% of secondary schools in England.

64% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well above the national average of about 45%. 88% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. Competition for places is real here - 67% of first-choice applicants were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026 (272 first choices for 182 places). The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 0.75 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. After Year 11, 95% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 6.4%. There are about 18.7 pupils per teacher. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.