Central Bedfordshire
View Central Bedfordshire on mapCode: E06000056
Director of Children's Services: Amana Gordon
Summary of Ofsted findings
Summary of Ofsted findings
Inspection of Central Bedfordshire’s local authority children’s services
These inspections focus on the effectiveness of local authority services and arrangements:
- to help and protect children, and enable families to stay together and get the help they need
- the experiences and progress of children in care wherever they live, including those children who return home
- the arrangements for permanence for children who are looked after, in stable, loving homes, including adoption
- the experiences and progress of care leavers.
| Inspection type | Inspection start date | Overall effectiveness | Impact of leaders | Help and protection | Children in care | Care leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILACS Short Inspection | 10 March 2025 | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Area SEND inspection of Central Bedfordshire Local Area Partnership
The purpose of an area SEND inspection is to:
- provide an independent, external evaluation of the effectiveness of the local area partnership’s arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
- where appropriate, recommend what the local area partnership should do to improve the arrangements.
| Inspection outcome |
|---|
|
Central Bedfordshire local area partnership has not yet been inspected under the current Area SEND framework. |
Joint targeted area inspection of Central Bedfordshire local authority
The agencies for these inspections can include the police, children’s social care, probation services, education and relevant health services. Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and childcare providers. The focus of these inspections is how effectively the local safeguarding partners work together at the practice and strategic levels.
| Theme | Inspection start date | Link |
|---|---|---|
| There have been no JTAI inspections for this local authority. | ||
Ofsted inspection reports and tools
Local authority context
| Population 18 and under | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 73,391 | 23.2% |
| National | 12,869,368 | 22.0% |
| Children looked after | Number | Rate per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 337 | 48 |
| National | 81,770 | 67 |
| School-age pupils eligible for free school meals | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 6,643 | 14.9% |
| National | 2,085,168 | 26.7% |
| School-age pupils eligible for extra funding (pupil premium) | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 7,445 | 16.9% |
| National | 2,266,608 | 29.3% |
| Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in state-funded settings | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 8,807 | 17.7% |
| National | 1,766,924 | 19.6% |
| School-age pupils with English as an additional language | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 5,033 | 10.2% |
| National | 1,806,029 | 21.4% |
| % of children in income-deprived families (IDACI) | Average % |
|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 25.0% |
| National | 38.0% |
| Health Index (children and young people) | Health Index score |
|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 112.2 |
| National | 100.8 |
More details about the health index metric
Indicates the health of an area measured in three domains: Healthy People, Health Lives and Healthy Places.
A score of 100 represents health in England in 2015. A higher number means better health and a lower number means worse health.
Remit overview
Contents
Early years
| Population | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 5 years | 23,519 | 7.4% | 6.4% |
| Aged 0 | 3,598 | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Aged 1 | 3,799 | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Aged 2 | 4,015 | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Aged 3 | 3,851 | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Aged 4 | 4,132 | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Aged 5 | 4,124 | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Disadvantaged | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early years pupil premium | 615 | 2.6% | 3.3% |
| Children looked after (under 1 year) | 10 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Children looked after (1 to 4 years) | 28 | 0.2% | 0.4% |
Data sources:
| Special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) / Education, health and care plans (EHCP) |
Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEN support in state-funded settings (age 2 and under) | 35 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| SEN support in state-funded settings (age 3) | 135 | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| SEN support in state-funded settings (age 4) | 289 | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| SEN support in state-funded settings (age 5) | 387 | 9.4% | 12.1% |
| Total: SEN support in state-funded settings (age 5 and under) | 846 | 3.6% | 4.5% |
| Children with an EHCP (age 2 and under) | 5 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Children with an EHCP (age 3) | 30 | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Children with an EHCP (age 4) | 144 | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Children with an EHCP (age 5) | 230 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
| Total: Children with an EHCP (age 5 and under) | 409 | 1.7% | 1.6% |
Data sources:
| Funded early years places for 2-year-olds | Population aged 2-years-old | Number of eligible 2-year-olds | % of population aged 2 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 4,015 | 617 | 15.4% | 56.2% |
| National | 630,059 | 145,824 | 23.1% | 65.2% |
| Funded early years places for 3-year-olds | Population aged 3-years-old | Number of eligible 3-year-olds | % of population aged 3 | % take-up of funded places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Bedfordshire | 3,851 | All 3-year olds are eligible | 89.3% | |
| National | 625,948 | 90.6% | ||
The 2 and 3-year-old funded places tables look different because they measure different things; funded places for 2-year-olds are only for children considered to be disadvantaged, while for 3-year-olds everyone is entitled to a funded place.
| Children's overweight and obesity | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's overweight and obesity (reception-age children) | 700 | 19.8% | 23.5% |
| Oral health | Number examined in Central Bedfordshire | % examined in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral health (visible tooth decay in 5-year-olds) | 327 | 8.6% | 15.0% | 22.4% |
Schools
| Population | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire1 | % National1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary-age pupils (ages 5 to 11) | 27,826 | 8.8% | 8.2% |
| Secondary-age pupils (ages 12 to 16) | 19,253 | 6.1% | 6.2% |
| Population of looked-after-children | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire1 | % National1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 5 to 9 | 57 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Ages 10 to 15 | 132 | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Pupils eligible for free schools meals | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 2,849 | 12.7% | 25.3% |
| Secondary | 3,454 | 16.2% | 27.5% |
| Alternative provision | 35 | 70.0% | 64.6% |
| Special | 305 | 40.8% | 49.5% |
| Non-maintained special | – | – | 31.0% |
| Pupils eligible for pupil premium | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 3,410 | 12.8% | 25.1% |
| Secondary | 3,043 | 17.4% | 28.9% |
| Pupils with SEND | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 3,837 | 15.7% | 18.2% |
| Secondary | 3,921 | 16.4% | 16.5% |
| Alternative provision | 48 | 96.0% | 83.4% |
| Special | 898 | 100.0% | 99.9% |
| Non-maintained special | – | – | 99.7% |
| Independent schools | 74 | 22.8% | 24.1% |
| Pupils with English as an additional language | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 2,981 | 12.2% | 23.4% |
| Secondary | 1,894 | 7.9% | 19.2% |
| Alternative provision | 1 | 2.0% | 7.6% |
| Special | 70 | 7.8% | 14.5% |
| Non-maintained special | – | – | 11.0% |
| Attendance of all pupils up to week 4 of calendar year | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 95.1% | 95.0% |
| Secondary | 92.5% | 91.8% |
| Special | 88.8% | 87.1% |
| Attendance of pupils eligible for free school meals (summer term 2024/25) | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 90.5% | 91.9% |
| Secondary | 84.9% | 85.2% |
| Special | 81.9% | 85.1% |
| Attendance of pupils with SEND (summer term 2024/25) | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | 92.3% | 92.1% |
| Secondary | 86.0% | 84.3% |
| Special | 87.4% | 87.3% |
| Primary attainment: Year 1 phonics screening pass | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | 3,033 | 79.2% | 79.8% |
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | 225 | 56.7% | 66.6% |
| Pupils with SEND | 240 | 40.3% | 43.4% |
| Pupils with English as an additional language | 386 | 83.2% | 79.5% |
| Primary attainment: Year 4 times table check (full marks) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | 1,157 | 30.3% | 36.8% |
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | 88 | 14.3% | 27.4% |
| Pupils with SEND | 91 | 12.3% | 16.5% |
| Pupils with English as an additional language | 182 | 43.2% | 45.2% |
| Primary attainment: Key stage 2 reading, writing, maths combined (met the expected standard) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | 1,838 | 49.8% | 62.6% |
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | 171 | 26.0% | 47.7% |
| Pupils with SEND | 122 | 15.7% | 23.8% |
| Pupils with English as an additional language | 214 | 60.6% | 66.2% |
| Secondary attainment: Attainment 8 | Average in Central Bedfordshire2 | National average2 |
|---|---|---|
| All pupils | 43.5 | 45.9 |
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | 29.1 | 35.0 |
| Pupils with SEND | 24.2 | 28.1 |
| Population receiving education outside of their local authority | Number outside of Central Bedfordshire | % outside of Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 1,569 | 7.2% | 4.1% |
| Secondary | 2,488 | 11.3% | 8.7% |
| Special | 151 | 19.4% | 9.0% |
| Children being home educated | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire1 | % National1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 280 | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Secondary | 510 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Total | 770 | 1.6% | 1.5% |
More details about the children being home educated numbers
Local authority data in the source dataset has been rounded to the nearest 10. As a result totals may not equal the sum of their component parts.
| Suspensions (from primary school) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | Rate per 100 pupils in Central Bedfordshire3 | Rate per 100 pupils National3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of suspensions | 293 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Total pupils with one or more suspensions | 143 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions who are eligible for free school meals | 61 | 2.2 (in group) | 1.2 (in group) |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions with SEND | 119 | 3.3 (in group) | 2.4 (in group) |
More details about suspensions from state-funded primary schools and totals not summing
Suspensions data on total number of pupils may not match, as a change in a pupil’s category within the same term results in them being counted separately under each category. For example, if a pupil receives multiple suspensions while classified as not having SEN, and then receives additional suspensions after being reclassified as receiving SEN support during the same term, they will be recorded as two separate enrolments in the data.
| Suspensions (from secondary school) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | Rate per 100 pupils in Central Bedfordshire3 | Rate per 100 pupils National3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of suspensions | 1,449 | 6.1 | 7.8 |
| Total pupils with one or more suspensions | 761 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions who are eligible for free school meals | 336 | 9.3 (in group) | 8.2 (in group) |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions with SEND | 337 | 8.6 (in group) | 9.1 (in group) |
More details about suspensions from state-funded secondary schools and totals not summing
Suspensions data on total number of pupils may not match, as a change in a pupil’s category within the same term results in them being counted separately under each category. For example, if a pupil receives multiple suspensions while classified as not having SEN, and then receives additional suspensions after being reclassified as receiving SEN support during the same term, they will be recorded as two separate enrolments in the data.
| Suspensions (from special school) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | Rate per 100 pupils in Central Bedfordshire3 | Rate per 100 pupils National3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of suspensions | 36 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
| Total pupils with one or more suspensions | 24 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions who are eligible for free school meals | 13 | 3.7 (in group) | 4.1 (in group) |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions with SEND | 24 | 2.7 (in group) | 2.9 (in group) |
More details about suspensions from state-funded special schools and totals not summing
Suspensions data on total number of pupils may not match, as a change in a pupil’s category within the same term results in them being counted separately under each category. For example, if a pupil receives multiple suspensions while classified as not having SEN, and then receives additional suspensions after being reclassified as receiving SEN support during the same term, they will be recorded as two separate enrolments in the data.
| Exclusions (from primary school) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of pupils excluded | 7 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | 5 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Pupils with SEND | 6 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Exclusions (from secondary school) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of pupils excluded | 27 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | 18 | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Pupils with SEND | 16 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Exclusions (from special school) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire2 | % National2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of pupils excluded | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pupils with SEND | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
1. % of all children in Central Bedfordshire / England.
2. % of all pupils in state-funded settings across Central Bedfordshire / England.
3. Rate per 100 pupils in state-funded settings across Central Bedfordshire / England.
Further education and skills
| Population | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 16 to 18 years | 10,637 | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| Aged 19 to 21 years | 6,937 | 2.2% | 3.6% |
| Aged 22 to 24 years | 9,189 | 2.9% | 3.6% |
| Aged 25 years and over | 226,360 | 71.7% | 70.8% |
| Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) | Number in Central Bedfordshire | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16- to 17-year-olds known to LA | 7,212 | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| NEET | 191 | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Activity not known | 29 | 0.4% | 2.2% |
| Total NEET or activity not known | 220 | 3.0% | 5.6% |
| 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training | % in Central Bedfordshire | % National |
|---|---|---|
| Degrees (all) | 61.0% | 66.0% |
| Degrees at top third higher education institutions | 20.0% | 24.0% |
| Higher apprenticeships | 3.0% | 2.0% |
| Other study at level 4 and 5 | 1.0% | 3.0% |
| Progressing to higher education or training | 65.0% | 70.0% |
More details about the further education and skills destinations data
This data reflects the destinations of pupils based on the number on roll when they were aged 16 to 18, tracking where they progressed after completing their studies.
Degree destinations include any study at level 6 or higher such as bachelor degrees, graduate diplomas, and post-graduate degrees. The top third higher education institutions when ranked by average UCAS tariff score of entrants across their best 3 A levels.
Higher apprenticeships are those from level 4 to 7 and are equivalent to a foundation degree and above. Degree apprenticeships are available at levels 6 and 7.
Other study at level 4 or 5 destinations include those students studying qualifications such as foundation degrees, Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs).
Social care
Explore the findings from Ofsted's local authority inspections.
Explore population characteristics for this local authority.