Samuel Whitbread Academy

Samuel Whitbread Academy continues to maintain a good standard of education, with pupils expressing happiness and pride in their school environment. The academy offers a diverse curriculum, which students appreciate, including opportunities in both academic and extracurricular activities. There is strong support for pupils, including those with special educational needs, and a commitment to ensuring all students, including sixth formers, are encouraged to reach their potential. However, the school acknowledges the need to address some inconsistencies in teaching quality across certain subjects, which can hinder pupil learning.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and feel safe at school.
• Strong commitment to sporting and artistic opportunities.
• High expectations set by leaders and teachers for all pupils.
• Ambitious curriculum for pupils with special educational needs.
• Effective strategies in place to support pupils with reading.
• Positive behaviour observed in lessons and around the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent quality of teaching in a small number of subjects.
• Teachers do not regularly check pupils' understanding or address misconceptions, leading to learning challenges.

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 Samuel Whitbread Academy attended 89.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.5% 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, 6.6% of pupils at Samuel Whitbread Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 9 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 Samuel Whitbread Academy had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.9% 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, 12.2% of pupils at Samuel Whitbread Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 27 pupils.

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 Samuel Whitbread Academy received £8,073 and spent £7,805 for each of its 1,663 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,869,000 (£1,124 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

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

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

What is Samuel Whitbread Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Samuel Whitbread Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Samuel Whitbread Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Samuel Whitbread Academy was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Samuel Whitbread Academy have?

Samuel Whitbread Academy has 1,657 pupils on roll.

What age range does Samuel Whitbread Academy cover?

Samuel Whitbread Academy for pupils aged 13 to 18.

Where is Samuel Whitbread Academy?

Samuel Whitbread Academy is at Shefford Road, Clifton, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5QS.