Sharnbrook Academy

About Sharnbrook Academy

Sharnbrook Academy sits within the Bedford local authority, where it ranks 7th out of 14 secondary schools by Progress 8 score. That places it in the middle of the pack locally, but the picture is more nuanced than a simple rank suggests. The top-performing peers in the area are Bedford Free School, Goldington Academy and Bedford College, all of which post stronger Progress 8 scores. Sharnbrook’s own score of 0.17 is positive — meaning pupils here make more progress than the national average — but it falls just below the Bedford LA average of 0.24. The school is a large, mixed, non-denominational secondary with a sixth form, and it’s clearly popular: for 2025/26 admissions, it received 369 applications for 255 places, with 237 first-preference offers made from 238 first-preference applications. That oversubscription ratio of 1.45 tells you it’s a school local families actively want.

Academically, Sharnbrook delivers solid, if not spectacular, results. At KS4, the Attainment 8 score sits at 51.1, and 74.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths — a strong basics pass rate. The EBacc entry rate is 46.1%, with 30.7% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. Progress 8 is positive across the board, with English showing the strongest gain at 0.2, while maths and EBacc subjects are close behind. At A-level, the school’s value-added score is 0.03, classed as average, and the average points per entry is 32.32, equivalent to a C+ grade. The sixth form provision was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in its most recent inspection, and leadership and management also earned Outstanding. The overall school was judged Good, a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. Ofsted noted that behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and quality of education are all Good.

For families, Sharnbrook offers a broad range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts, astro turf, music rooms, art studios and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include swimming, netball, rowing and martial arts, while clubs range from orchestra and choir to Model UN, Young Enterprise and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Parent View responses from 240 families show 78% would recommend the school. Strong majorities agreed that their child is happy, feels safe, and does well, though views on how concerns are dealt with and SEND support are more mixed. This is a large, oversubscribed school that suits families looking for a secondary with a strong sixth form and a clear upward trajectory in its Ofsted ratings.

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