Redborne Upper School and Community College

Redborne Upper School is performing well, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspection areas. Pupils and students express positive feelings about their attendance and the supportive atmosphere fostered by the staff, which includes a commendable provision for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is well-structured, ambitious, and delivered effectively by skilled teachers. Notable strengths include excellent relationships between staff and students, and a proactive approach to extracurricular activities and personal development initiatives. Although there have been recent improvements in SEND provision, the school must address issues related to the persistent absence of vulnerable pupils and ensure that pupils' understanding in some subjects is checked more diligently.

Strengths

• Pupils and students express positive sentiments about the school.
• Supportive atmosphere with effective encouragement from older students.
• Well-planned and sequenced curriculum that is typically ambitious.
• Strong engagement in extracurricular activities, including charity events.
• Improved provision for pupils with SEND, especially those with high needs.
• Effective identification and support for struggling readers.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Strong careers education and guidance for students.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupils' understanding in some subjects.
• Persistent absence of vulnerable pupils impacting their achievement.

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 Redborne Upper School and Community College attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.0% 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, 3.7% of pupils at Redborne Upper School and Community College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Redborne Upper School and Community College had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.6% 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, 10.6% of pupils at Redborne Upper School and Community College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 2024–25 Redborne Upper School and Community College received £8,095 and spent £7,868 for each of its 1,593 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £93,000 (£58 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of The Pyramid Schools Trust, income was £6,877 and spending £6,932 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bedford · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

Redborne Upper School and Community College is part of The Pyramid Schools Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Westoning Lower School Bedford
• Harlington Upper School Dunstable
• Harlington Lower School Dunstable
• Ramsey Manor Lower School Bedford
• Parkfields Middle School Dunstable
• Arnold Academy Bedford
• Sundon Lower School Luton
• Beecroft Academy Dunstable
• Brooklands Middle School Leighton Buzzard

What is Redborne Upper School and Community College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Redborne Upper School and Community College is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Redborne Upper School and Community College last inspected by Ofsted?

Redborne Upper School and Community College was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Redborne Upper School and Community College have?

Redborne Upper School and Community College has 1,657 pupils on roll.

What age range does Redborne Upper School and Community College cover?

Redborne Upper School and Community College for pupils aged 13 to 18.

Where is Redborne Upper School and Community College?

Redborne Upper School and Community College is at Flitwick Road, Ampthill, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 2NU.