Bedford Borough Council

UK local authority in East of England, responsible for 84 schools.

Region

East of England

Type

Unitary Authority

LA Code

822

Schools

84 (2 nursery, 54 primary, 14 secondary, 2 special, 1 PRU/AP)

Pupils

35,894

Population

196,398 (43,780 aged 0-17)

Academisation

45 academies, 30 LA-maintained (60% academised)

Multi-academy trusts

20 — largest: HEART ACADEMIES TRUST (6 schools)

Deprivation (IMD 2019)

Rank 96 of 151 (1 = most deprived)

KS2 2024/25

57% met expected standard, 3% higher standard

KS4 2024/25

Attainment 8: 44.4, grade 5+ in English & maths: 43.7%

Inspectorate

Ofsted

Director of Education

Harmesh Bhogal

City

Bedford

Website

www.bedford.gov.uk

Telephone

01234 267422

Sources: DfE KS2 attainment, 2024/25 revised · DfE KS4 performance, 2024/25 revised · GIAS (DfE), Aug 2026 · ONS mid-2025 population estimates · IMD 2019, rank of average score, 1 = most deprived of 151 upper-tier LAs