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Last refresh: 14 June 2026

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Arnold Academy

URN
136829
Phase
Middle deemed secondary
Status
Open

School overview

School name
Arnold Academy
URN
136829
Phase
Middle deemed secondary
Gender
Mixed
Age range
9-13
Status
Open

School Compass Score

Good

64 / 100

Good

Based on official data for academic year 2024/25.

Academic Outcomes

45

Inspection

80

Admissions Value

—

Destinations

—

Stability & Context

90

School Compass rankings

Below top 50% of secondary schools in England

Below top 50% nationally

#11 of 19 schools in Central Bedfordshire

Based on School Compass rankings calculated from performance, inspection, admissions and destination data.

School Compass recommendation

Proceed With Caution

Some performance indicators suggest families should review details carefully.

Get the full School Compass Parent Report →

Based on School Compass analysis of official performance, inspection, admissions and destination data.

Admissions strategy

  • Application category: Not recommended
  • Admissions pressure: Competition not available
  • Admissions risk: Moderate risk

Plan a balanced application list

Get the full Parent Report

Available in the full Parent Report:

  • Recommended application mix
  • Alternative schools
  • Admissions warnings

View Parent Report options →

Crime & Safety

  • Safety score: Very Safe
  • National comparison: Lower crime than average
  • Crime trend: Stable trend
  • Confidence: High confidence

Higher share of violent and serious offences than typical

View full Crime & Safety analysis in Parent Report

Available in the full Parent Report:

  • Crime categories in the surrounding area
  • Local authority and nearby-school comparisons
  • Safety trends over the past year
  • Area context and confidence notes

View full Crime & Safety analysis in Parent Report →

Area crime data reflects the surrounding neighbourhood — it is not a measure of school safeguarding or on-site safety.

  • Area crime data reflects the surrounding neighbourhood — it is not a measure of school safeguarding or on-site safety.
  • This section reflects police-recorded crime in the surrounding area, not incidents on school premises.
  • Figures are anonymised by the police and aggregated within approximately one mile of the school site.

Question 1: Is it a good school?

School Compass Parent Report

Your decision briefing for Arnold Academy

A plain-English verdict on school quality, plus application strategy, rankings, similar schools, and neighbourhood crime context — one PDF for £4.99. No subscription.

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Question 2

Can we realistically get in?

Admissions Advantage previews are not currently available for this school.

Admissions Advantage unavailable

Admissions Advantage not available — insufficient admissions data

National coordinated admissions statistics are not available for this school. We will not sell an Admissions Advantage report we cannot support with honest data — use your local authority admissions booklet instead.

Complete Report unavailable

Complete Report not available — admissions data gap

National admissions statistics are insufficient for a honest Complete Report on this school.

Ofsted inspections

Previous inspection framework
Latest publication date
9 July 2023
Inspection date
23 May 2023
Inspection type
S5 Inspection
Category of concern
None recorded
SafeguardingNot available

Inspection outcomes

  • Overall effectiveness

    Good

    Graded 9 July 2023

  • Quality of education

    Good

    Graded 9 July 2023

  • Behaviour and attitudes

Admissions

Admissions information is not currently available for this school.

Where to apply

Use these official links to submit your application. Deadlines and portals are set by your local authority — always confirm the latest dates before you apply.

Local authority
Central Bedfordshire
Admissions portal
GOV.UK — apply for a secondary school place (Central Bedfordshire)
Application deadline
31 October 2026 (on-time deadline for secondary entry, September 2027)
School website
http://www.arnoldacademy.org.uk

If the portal link opens GOV.UK, select Central Bedfordshire to reach your council's application system.

Performance & outcomes

Performance information is not currently available for this school.

Location

MK45 4JZ - Hexton Road, Barton-le-Clay, Bedford, Bedfordshire

Contact details

Address
Hexton Road, Barton-le-Clay, Bedford, Bedfordshire
Postcode
MK45 4JZ
Phone
1582616400
Website
http://www.arnoldacademy.org.uk
Visit websiteOpen in Google Maps

Administrative details

Local authority name
Central Bedfordshire
Local authority code
823

School insights

Local authority context

This school is one of 240 schools in Central Bedfordshire.

Authority statistics

Total schools

240

Open schools

135

Closed schools

105

Primary schools

148

Data quality

Last updated
14 June 2026
Last imported
14 June 2026

Dates reflect the latest GIAS import and any recorded closure date for this school.

The School Compass Score combines academic outcomes, inspection findings, admissions value, destinations, and school stability to help parents compare schools consistently.

  • Not all crime is reported to the police. Small areas can vary significantly year to year.
  • Source: data.police.uk under the Open Government Licence; population from ONS.
  • Good

    Graded 9 July 2023

  • Personal development

    Good

    Graded 9 July 2023

  • Leadership and management

    Good

    Graded 9 July 2023

  • View official Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)

    Inspection history

    Showing the last 1 inspection on record, including monitoring visits.

    PublishedInspectedTypeSummaryReport
    9 July 202323 May 2023S5 InspectionGoodView report for inspection published 9 July 2023
    • Good

      Published
      9 July 2023
      Inspected
      23 May 2023
      Type
      S5 Inspection
      Report
      View report

    Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Ofsted management information via GOV.UK.

    Secondary schools

    26

    Special schools

    0

    Phase distribution

    • Primary148 (62.7%)
    • Secondary26 (11.0%)
    • Special0 (0.0%)
    • Other62 (26.3%)

    Nearby schools

    School nameDistancePhaseStatus
    Arnold Middle School0 mMiddle deemed secondaryClosed
    Ramsey Manor Lower School305 mPrimaryOpen
    Ramsey Manor Lower School305 mPrimaryClosed
    Orchard School & Nursery848 mNot applicableOpen
    Hexton Junior Mixed and Infant School1.8 kmPrimaryClosed
    Pulloxhill Lower School4.0 kmPrimaryClosed
    Pulloxhill Lower School4.0 kmPrimaryClosed
    Silsoe CofE VC Lower School4.6 kmPrimaryOpen
    Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College4.6 kmSecondaryOpen
    Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College4.6 kmSecondaryClosed
    • Arnold Middle School
      Distance
      0 m
      Phase
      Middle deemed secondary
      Status
      Closed
    • Ramsey Manor Lower School
      Distance
      305 m
      Phase
      Primary
      Status
      Open
    • Ramsey Manor Lower School
      Distance
      305 m
      Phase
      Primary
      Status
      Closed
    • Orchard School & Nursery
      Distance
      848 m
      Phase
      Not applicable
      Status
      Open

    Similar schools

    Same phase (Middle deemed secondary) and local authority (Central Bedfordshire)

    School namePhasePostcodeStatus
    Alameda Middle SchoolMiddle deemed secondaryMK45 2QROpen
    Alameda Middle SchoolMiddle deemed secondaryMK45 2QRClosed
    Arnold Middle SchoolMiddle deemed secondaryMK45 4JZClosed
    Ashton CofE VA Middle SchoolMiddle deemed secondaryLU6 1NHClosed
    Brandreth Middle SchoolMiddle deemed secondaryLU5 5PXClosed
    • Alameda Middle School
      Phase
      Middle deemed secondary
      Postcode
      MK45 2QR
      Status
      Open
    • Alameda Middle School
      Phase
      Middle deemed secondary
      Postcode
      MK45 2QR
      Status
      Closed
    • Arnold Middle School
      Phase
      Middle deemed secondary
      Postcode
      MK45 4JZ
      Status
      Closed
    • Ashton CofE VA Middle School
      Phase
      Middle deemed secondary
      Postcode
      LU6 1NH
      Status
      Closed
    Hexton Junior Mixed and Infant School
    Distance
    1.8 km
    Phase
    Primary
    Status
    Closed
  • Pulloxhill Lower School
    Distance
    4.0 km
    Phase
    Primary
    Status
    Closed
  • Pulloxhill Lower School
    Distance
    4.0 km
    Phase
    Primary
    Status
    Closed
  • Silsoe CofE VC Lower School
    Distance
    4.6 km
    Phase
    Primary
    Status
    Open
  • Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College
    Distance
    4.6 km
    Phase
    Secondary
    Status
    Open
  • Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College
    Distance
    4.6 km
    Phase
    Secondary
    Status
    Closed
  • Brandreth Middle School
    Phase
    Middle deemed secondary
    Postcode
    LU5 5PX
    Status
    Closed