Cedars Upper School

About Cedars Upper School

Cedars Upper School, a state secondary for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Central Bedfordshire, holds a Good rating from Ofsted following its most recent inspection in 2023. The school’s strongest academic signal comes from its sixth form, which was judged Outstanding — the only category to achieve that top grade across the inspection. For GCSE-level performance, the school’s Progress 8 score sits at -0.11, meaning pupils achieve slightly below the national average for progress across eight subjects. However, that figure looks far stronger in context: the local authority average for Progress 8 is -0.46, placing Cedars well above most other schools in Central Bedfordshire. In fact, Cedars ranks 4th out of 16 secondary schools in the area on this measure, putting it in the top quarter locally. Nationally, it sits in the 57th percentile, comfortably in the upper half of all schools in England. The school’s Attainment 8 score of 43.9 and its EBacc average point score of 3.93 reflect solid, if not exceptional, outcomes for its Key Stage 4 cohort.

Digging deeper into the exam data, Cedars shows particular strength in mathematics, where its Progress 8 score is +0.2 — meaning pupils make above-average progress in maths compared with peers nationally. English progress is slightly negative at -0.16, and the EBacc element sits at -0.15. At GCSE, 68.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, while 44.1% achieved a grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 44.1%, and 20.6% of pupils entered the full EBacc combination. In the sixth form, the school’s value-added score is -0.07, rated as Average, with students achieving an average of 34.69 points per entry, equivalent to a C+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at a B- grade, with 20% of entries achieving AAB or higher. Ofsted’s breakdown rated behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all as Good, with sixth-form provision the standout Outstanding element.

Cedars is a large school with 1,055 pupils against a capacity of 1,350, and it is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, there were 430 applications for 236 places, with 188 first-preference offers made. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Its SEND provisions cover eight areas, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. Extracurricular options include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and a range of sports from rugby to gymnastics. This is a school that suits families looking for a strong sixth form with an Outstanding rating, solid GCSE outcomes above the local average, and a broad set of facilities and clubs — particularly for pupils who may benefit from the school’s above-average maths progress and its comprehensive SEND support.

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