Arnold Academy

Arnold Academy has been rated as good in all inspected areas, indicating a solid overall performance. The school provides a broad and engaging curriculum that fosters pupils' character development and confidence, with effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The leadership team is new and is making significant strides in improving educational outcomes, while pupils enjoy a safe and respectful environment. However, there are some areas for growth, particularly in leadership monitoring and addressing inappropriate language among students.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending and feel safe at the school.
• Opportunities for character development through extracurricular activities.
• Broad and engaging curriculum with effective support for SEND pupils.
• Strong focus on improving reading skills with ample reading opportunities.
• High expectations for behaviour and effective safeguarding measures.
• Proactive governance that holds leaders accountable.

Areas for Improvement

• Newer subject leaders need to monitor curriculum effectiveness more frequently.
• Some teachers lack understanding in providing adequate challenge for all pupils.
• A minority of pupils use inappropriate language, which is not adequately addressed.

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 Arnold Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 13.3% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Arnold Academy 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 Arnold Academy had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.7% 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, 19.7% of pupils at Arnold Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.5% 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 Arnold Academy received £6,841 and spent £7,090 for each of its 699 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £800,000 (£1,144 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

Arnold Academy is part of The Pyramid Schools Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Ramsey Manor Lower School Bedford
• Harlington Upper School Dunstable
• Sundon Lower School Luton
• Harlington Lower School Dunstable
• Westoning Lower School Bedford
• Parkfields Middle School Dunstable
• Redborne Upper School and Community College Bedford
• Beecroft Academy Dunstable
• Brooklands Middle School Leighton Buzzard

What is Arnold Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Arnold Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Arnold Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Arnold Academy was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Arnold Academy have?

Arnold Academy has 704 pupils on roll.

What age range does Arnold Academy cover?

Arnold Academy for pupils aged 9 to 13.

What are Arnold Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Arnold Academy?

Arnold Academy is at Hexton Road, Barton-le-Clay, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 4JZ.