Arnold Academy - The School Companion

Arnold Academy

General Information

Address: Hexton Road, Barton-le-Clay, Bedford, MK45 4JZ
Phone: 01582616400
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Headteacher Peter Roberts
Age range: 9-13 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: None
Number of pupils: 704
School capacity: 720
Pupils eligible for free school meals: 100
% eligible for free school meals: 14.2%
Nursery provision: No

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Behaviour information for this school has not been added yet.

Attendance

Overall absence: 6.1%
Persistently absent pupils: 13.3%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

SEN provision information for this school has not been added yet.

Pupils on SEN Support: 19.7%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 5.5%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 44 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 32 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 21 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 17 pupils
Physical disability: 9 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Social, emotional and mental health: 15 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 15 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 3 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 2 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

Behaviour

–

Openness

–

Teaching Quality

–

School Ethos

–

Ability to Deal with Problems

–

Headteacher Approval

–

Would recommend –

Give this school your first review

Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Educational attainment data for this school has not been added yet.

An Attainment 8 score for this school hasn't been added yet.

View full Ofsted inspection report

Ranked #2 of 18 Ofsted Rating schools of this type in the area

#1Alameda Middle SchoolGood
#2Arnold AcademyGood
#3Brooklands Middle SchoolGood
#4Cedars Upper SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

#1Alameda Middle SchoolGood
#2Arnold AcademyGood
#3Brooklands Middle SchoolGood
#4Cedars Upper SchoolGood
#5Etonbury AcademyGood
#6Harlington Upper SchoolGood
#7Holywell SchoolGood
#8Leighton Middle SchoolGood
#9Linslade SchoolGood
#10Manshead Church of England AcademyGood
#11Parkfields Middle SchoolGood
#12Pix Brook AcademyGood
#13Queensbury AcademyGood
#14Redborne Upper School and Community CollegeGood
#15Samuel Whitbread AcademyGood
#16Vandyke Upper SchoolGood
#17Woodland Middle School AcademyGood
#18Fulbrook SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Financial summary information for this school has not been added yet.

Spending per pupil: £6,765 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

Ranked #19 of 25 Spending Per Pupil schools of this type in the area

#17Robert Bloomfield Academy£6,950
#18Queensbury Academy£6,868
#19Arnold Academy£6,765
#20Leighton Middle School£6,689
#21Alameda Middle School£6,504

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

#1Edward Peake CofE VC School£9,648
#2All Saints Academy Dunstable£9,007
#3Henlow Church of England Academy£8,051
#4Redborne Upper School and Community College£7,868
#5Sandy Secondary School£7,839
#6Houstone School£7,483
#7Parkfields Middle School£7,472
#8Samuel Whitbread Academy£7,456
#9Manshead Church of England Academy£7,440
#10Stratton School£7,420
#11Vandyke Upper School£7,386
#12Fulbrook School£7,346
#13Woodland Middle School Academy£7,307
#14Cedars Upper School£7,216
#15Harlington Upper School£7,195
#16Pix Brook Academy£7,035
#17Robert Bloomfield Academy£6,950
#18Queensbury Academy£6,868
#19Arnold Academy£6,765
#20Leighton Middle School£6,689
#21Alameda Middle School£6,504
#22Holywell School£6,447
#23Etonbury Academy£6,429
#24Linslade School£5,991
#25Brooklands Middle School£4,449

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)