Robert Bloomfield Academy

Robert Bloomfield Academy is a highly effective, inclusive middle school where pupils thrive. Ofsted found all four key judgements – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management – to be outstanding, with safeguarding arrangements effective. Pupils are motivated, attend regularly and behave very well, and exceptionally positive relationships underpin their success. The curriculum is carefully designed and extends beyond national expectations, with a strong focus on reading and rapid action to address gaps. Pupils with SEND are exceptionally well supported and typically learn seamlessly alongside their peers. Personal development is a standout feature, with a wide range of clubs, strong pupil leadership and well-planned careers education. Leaders, governors and the Bedfordshire Schools Trust are relentless in pursuing improvement, and parents are overwhelmingly positive. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the school is part of Bedfordshire Schools Trust; under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade is given. The report notes that for some pupils Year 6 national test outcomes do not reflect how well prepared they are for upper school, and that a previous decline in mathematics outcomes has been addressed through rapid action. No areas requiring improvement were identified.

Strengths

• Exceptionally inclusive and welcoming middle-school environment where pupils thrive
• Pupils behave very well, attend regularly and are motivated to learn
• Pupils with SEND are exceptionally well supported and learn alongside their peers
• Carefully designed curriculum extends beyond national expectations
• Strong reading provision with effective catch-up support and well-chosen books
• Exceptional personal development offer, including clubs, pupil leadership and careers education
• Clear and consistent expectations supported by exceptionally positive relationships
• Strong safeguarding culture and effective safeguarding arrangements
• Leadership, governance and trust work relentlessly for continuous improvement
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive and staff are well supported

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 Robert Bloomfield Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 11.1% 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, 1.8% of pupils at Robert Bloomfield Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Robert Bloomfield Academy had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.0% 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, 12.5% of pupils at Robert Bloomfield Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% 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 Robert Bloomfield Academy received £7,212 and spent £7,298 for each of its 974 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,531,000 (£1,572 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, income was £7,313 and spending £7,140 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 Central Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

Robert Bloomfield Academy is part of Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Campton Academy Shefford
• Samuel Whitbread Academy Shefford
• Gravenhurst Academy Bedford
• Langford Village Academy Biggleswade
• Gothic Mede Academy Arlesey
• Etonbury Academy Arlesey
• Pix Brook Academy Stotfold
• Lawnside Academy Biggleswade
• Castle Newnham School Bedford
• St Christophers Academy Dunstable

What is Robert Bloomfield Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Robert Bloomfield Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Robert Bloomfield Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Robert Bloomfield Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Robert Bloomfield Academy have?

Robert Bloomfield Academy has 962 pupils on roll.

What age range does Robert Bloomfield Academy cover?

Robert Bloomfield Academy for pupils aged 9 to 13.

What are Robert Bloomfield Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Robert Bloomfield Academy?

Robert Bloomfield Academy is at Bloomfield Drive, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5BU.