Bedford High School

Bedford High School has demonstrated a solid level of performance, achieving a 'Good' rating across all evaluated areas. Most students enjoy their experience, benefiting from strong relationships with teachers and peers, fostering a sense of safety and belonging. The school's commitment to its 'Bedford SPIRIT' virtues promotes respect and tolerance among students, which contributes to a friendly community. Furthermore, the school has shown dedication to improving educational quality through collaboration with local experts and enhancing curriculum design, notably increasing participation in the English Baccalaureate subjects.

Strengths

• Strong teacher-student relationships promote a supportive environment.
• Effective curriculum improvements have led to increased subject uptake.
• Pupils with SEND receive accurate support and achieve well.
• Reading is well-promoted, enhancing vocabulary and access to the curriculum.
• Strong personal development and career guidance prepare pupils for their futures.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment strategies by some teachers hinders learning.
• Not all teachers apply behaviour management systems effectively, leading to disruptions.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Bedford High School attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 11.1% of pupils at Bedford High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Bedford High School had 14.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.0% of pupils at Bedford High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Bedford High School received £8,642 and spent £8,252 for each of its 1,114 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,076,000 (£966 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Leigh · Wigan local authority: places and applications

What is Bedford High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bedford High School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Bedford High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bedford High School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Bedford High School have?

Bedford High School has 1,111 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bedford High School cover?

Bedford High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Bedford High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.2, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bedford High School?

Bedford High School is at Manchester Road, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2LU.