School profile

Wixams Academy

Secondary · Free schools · Bedford, MK42 6BA

Requires improvement

Map showing Wixams Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,014 of 3,312

Worse than 60% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#2,277 of 2,536

Worse than 89% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Wixams Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 3 Mar 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Needs attention
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Post-16 provision
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 19
Pupils903
GenderMixed
Head teacherMr Nathaniel Wilson
TrustKNOWLEDGE SCHOOLS TRUST
Local authorityBedford
Opened01 Sept 2017
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 144595.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolBedfordEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.43.9, worse than England, similar to Bedford44.146.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.64.9%, similar to England, similar to Bedford62%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.44.2%, similar to England, similar to Bedford41.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.9.1%, worse than England, similar to Bedford9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths57.8%, similar to England, similar to Bedford56.6%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4154--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolBedfordEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.25.05, worse than England, worse than Bedford30.1435
Average A-level gradeC---
Average points, best three A-levels26, worse than England, worse than Bedford30.735.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC---
AAB or better4%, worse than England, worse than Bedford10.7%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.17, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study47--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Merit--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils903
Girls459
Boys444
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.22.3%
First language not English16.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,750
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.48.4%
Sixth form places2024/25250
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.103
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.30
Average class size20.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
59.9%
Other White
8.2%
Other mixed
6.9%
Indian
5.6%
White and Black Caribbean
4.2%
White and Asian
3.3%
African
2.8%
Pakistani
1.8%
Bangladeshi
1.4%
Other Asian
1.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher15.9
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13
Teachers (FTE)56.66
Teaching assistants (FTE)10.06
Support staff (FTE)23.77
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2552
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2540.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/255.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.167
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.246
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.154
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.154
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)25

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolBedfordEngland
Overall absence10.7%, worse than England, worse than Bedford7.8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.27.2%, worse than England, worse than Bedford22.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.7%, worse than England, worse than Bedford3.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate28.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions10.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions2

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.95.9%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.90.1%
Further education57.3%
School sixth form32.2%
Employment3.5%
Apprenticeship2.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.1.8%
Sixth form college0.6%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.71.1%
Higher education42.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.23.7%
Employment21.1%
Further education2.6%
Apprenticeship2.6%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Wixams Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryWixams Tree Primary AcademyFree schools
Good
0.4 miPrimaryWillow Grove Primary SchoolFree schools
Unrated
0.5 miPrimaryLakeview SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryWilstead Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.7 miPrimaryHoughton Conquest Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.8 miPrimaryElstow SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Wixams Academy

What is Wixams Academy's Ofsted rating?

Wixams Academy is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 3 Mar 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Wixams Academy rank in England?

Wixams Academy ranks 2,014 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 60% of schools) and 2,277 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 89% of schools).

What are Wixams Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 44.2% of pupils at Wixams Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.9 (England 46.2).

What are Wixams Academy's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Wixams Academy was C-, and 4% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Wixams Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Wixams Academy made 167 offers from 246 applications (1.5 per offer), and 154 of 154 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Wixams Academy?

Wixams Academy has 903 pupils aged 11 to 19.

What is the capacity of Wixams Academy?

Wixams Academy had 1,750 school places in 2024/25.

Does Wixams Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Wixams Academy has a sixth form with 250 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Wixams Academy?

At Wixams Academy, the average class had 20.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.9 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Wixams Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Wixams Academy missed 10.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 27.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.