Edward Peake CofE VC School
Edward Peake CofE VC School is a voluntary controlled school in Biggleswade for pupils aged 11 to 16. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 359 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Edward Peake CofE VC School is Good, from an inspection in April 2026. It has more teachers for its size than most secondary schools: 12.4 pupils for each teacher in 2025/26, against 16.7 nationally. About 47% of its places were empty in 2024/25, far more than at most secondary schools, so a place should be easier to come by.
Ofsted inspection: April 2026.
| Type | Secondary / Voluntary controlled school |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Potton Road Biggleswade Bedfordshire SG18 0EJ |
| Phone | 01767314562 |
| Reference Number | 109694 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 359 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 55.43%
Girls: 44.57% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 27.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 8.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 22.4 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 52 | 60 | 112 |
| 8 | 48 | 40 | 88 |
| 9 | 54 | 33 | 87 |
| 10 | 45 | 27 | 72 |
| 11 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 76.3% |
| White, Other | 4.5% |
| Unclassified | 3.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 2.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.4% |
| African | 1.4% |
| White & Asian | 1.1% |
| Indian | 1.1% |
| Asian, Other | 0.8% |
| Caribbean | 0.6% |
| Irish | 0.3% |
The school is a warm, welcoming and inclusive community where pupils are proud to attend, behave well and learn without disruption. Inspectors found high expectations, strong subject knowledge among teachers, a broad and ambitious curriculum, and effective support for pupils with SEND. Pupils attend well, achieve well and benefit from a well-designed life-skills programme, reading support, visits and careers work. Safeguarding is effective, and governors, the local authority and diocese hold leaders to account. The school is managing a significant transition from a middle school to a secondary school and will teach key stage 4 for the first time from September 2025. Leaders have prepared the key stages 2 and 3 curriculum carefully for this change. This inspection follows a previous requires improvement judgement, and the school is now good across the key judgements; no overall effectiveness grade is given under current arrangements. Two main areas need further work. Assessment does not consistently help pupils deepen the quality of their written work, so some pupils do not show the full depth of their understanding. Opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills and contribute to school life are also limited. In addition, some pupils do not always read books matched to their reading knowledge, although support for weaker readers is strong.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Report Date | 24 Feb 2026 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 24 Feb 2026 | Monitoring visit |
| 08 Jan 2025 | School inspection |
| 24 May 2022 | School inspection: |
| 05 Oct 2016 | Short inspection |
| 03 Jul 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 16 Sep 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 20 Jun 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 02 Oct 2006 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 09 Jun 2003 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Warm, welcoming and inclusive school community
- Pupils are proud, polite, respectful and behave well
- High expectations and strong pupil engagement in learning
- Broad and ambitious curriculum carefully sequenced
- Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly
- Effective support for pupils with SEND
- Reading prioritised with strong individualised support for struggling readers
- Well-designed life skills programme addressing local issues
- Visits, visitors and careers programme raise aspirations
- Effective safeguarding arrangements
- Governors and external partners hold leaders to account
- Staff workload and wellbeing are well supported
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment does not consistently develop depth in pupils' written work
- Some pupils do not produce written work that fully reflects their understanding
- Pupils have limited opportunities to develop leadership skills and contribute to school life
- Some pupils do not always read books appropriate to their reading knowledge
Year 7 admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 67 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 14 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 3 | 0 |
Places and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Edward Peake CofE VC School had 399 pupils for 750 places. 351 places (46.8%) were unfilled. The local authority plans to add 360 places by 2027–28, and to remove 210.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Biggleswade Primary” planning area
Central Bedfordshire counted 287 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 294 in 2029–30, up 2%.
Year 7 intake in the “Biggleswade Secondary” planning area
Central Bedfordshire counted 250 Year 7 pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 345 in 2031–32, up 38%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 463 | 463 | 463 | 480 | 464 | 464 | 464 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 840 | 840 | 840 | 750 |
| Pupils | 390 | 351 | 343 | 330 | 355 | 386 | 432 | 448 | 472 | 505 | 540 | 567 | 542 | 523 | 399 |
| Unfilled | 15.8% | 24.2% | 25.9% | 31.2% | 23.5% | 16.8% | 6.9% | 25.3% | 21.3% | 15.8% | 10.0% | 32.5% | 35.5% | 37.7% | 46.8% |
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 Edward Peake CofE VC School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.5% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 3.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 5.0% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.0% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.0% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 2.7% |
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, 6.1% of pupils at Edward Peake CofE VC School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 10.4 | 17.7 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 10.0 | 20.5 | 17.8 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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 Edward Peake CofE VC School had 12.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 10.7 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 9.4 | 11.1 | 12.0 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 10.9 | 11.2 | 5.5 | 8.2 | 7.9 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 2.6% | 11.4% | 7.5% | 8.8% | 2.7% | 11.7% | 10.8% | 25.5% | 7.3% | 7.0% | 10.9% | 10.1% | 18.2% | 11.1% | 8.4% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 57.7% | 52.0% | 72.0% | 50.0% | 67.9% | 58.8% | 62.9% | 60.0% | 50.0% | – | 52.9% | 66.7% | 70.2% | 71.1% | 70.6% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 2.8 | 1.1 | 13.1 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 6.3 | 9.8 | 10.0 | – | 4.9 | 7.4 | 10.5 | 9.3 | 6.0 | – |
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, 17.3% of pupils at Edward Peake CofE VC School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Social, emotional and mental health | 23 | 9 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 14 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 10 | 3 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 5 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 3 | 2 |
| Physical disability | 4 | 1 |
| Hearing impairment | 1 | 1 |
| Vision impairment | 2 | 0 |
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 Edward Peake CofE VC School received £10,773 and spent £11,301 for each of its 359 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £240,000 (-£670 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £134,000 | £300,000 | £54,000 | £151,000 | £277,000 | £292,000 | -£51,000 | -£240,000 |
| per pupil | £259 | £622 | £98 | £265 | £505 | £555 | -£124 | -£670 |
| In-year balance | £39,000 | £165,000 | -£246,000 | £97,000 | £126,000 | £15,000 | -£343,000 | -£190,000 |
| per pupil | £75 | £343 | -£451 | £171 | £230 | £29 | -£836 | -£528 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
Lawnside Academy
Lawnside, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 0LX |
0.62 miles |
|
St Andrew's CofE VC Primary School
Brunts Lane, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 0LY |
0.82 miles |
|
Biggleswade Academy
Mead End, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JU |
1.14 miles |
|
Sutton CofE VA Primary School
High Street, Sutton, Bedfordshire, SG19 2NE |
1.78 miles |
|
Caldecote Church of England Academy
Manor Place, Upper Caldecote, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9DA |
1.98 miles |
|
Dunton CofE Junior School
High Street, Dunton, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8RN |
2.46 miles |
|
St Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School
Ivel Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 1AX |
2.5 miles |
|
Potton Primary School
Mill Lane, Potton, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2PG |
2.66 miles |
|
Langford Village Academy
Church Street, Langford, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9QA |
2.68 miles |
|
Laburnum Primary School
Laburnum Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 1HQ |
2.95 miles |
|
Robert Peel Primary School
Dapifer Drive, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 1QJ |
2.96 miles |
|
Northill CofE Academy
Bedford Road, Northill, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9AH |
3.2 miles |
|
Everton Heath Primary School
33 Potton Road, Everton, Nr Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2LE |
3.34 miles |
|
Maple Tree Primary School
Hawk Drive, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2WA |
3.56 miles |
|
Wrestlingworth CofE Infant School
Church Lane, Wrestlingworth, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2EU |
3.8 miles |
|
Southill Lower School
School Lane, Southill, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9JA |
3.82 miles |
|
Moggerhanger Primary School
Blunham Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK44 3RD |
4.21 miles |
|
John Donne Church of England Primary School
High Street, Blunham, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK44 3NL |
4.48 miles |
|
Clifton All Saints Academy
Church Street, Clifton, Near Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5ES |
4.69 miles |
|
Raynsford Church of England Academy
Park Lane, Henlow, Bedfordshire, SG16 6AT |
4.72 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Ivel Valley School & College
Hitchmead Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 0NL |
0.48 miles |
|
Stratton School
Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8JB |
0.7 miles |
|
OneSchool Global UK - Biggleswade Campus
The Oaks, Potton Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 0EP |
0.75 miles |
|
Sandy Secondary School
Engayne Avenue, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 1BL |
3.3 miles |
|
Henlow Church of England Academy
Church Road, Henlow, Bedfordshire, SG16 6AN |
4.62 miles |
All schools in Biggleswade · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications
What is Edward Peake CofE VC School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Edward Peake CofE VC School is Good, from an inspection in April 2026.
When was Edward Peake CofE VC School last inspected by Ofsted?
Edward Peake CofE VC School was last inspected in April 2026.
How many pupils does Edward Peake CofE VC School have?
Edward Peake CofE VC School has 359 pupils on roll.
What age range does Edward Peake CofE VC School cover?
Edward Peake CofE VC School for pupils aged 11 to 16.
Where is Edward Peake CofE VC School?
Edward Peake CofE VC School is at Potton Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 0EJ.