Mark Rutherford School is a secondary school in Bedford, serving pupils aged 11 to 18. The school is a academy converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It has a none religious character. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Mark Rutherford School currently has around 1180 pupils on roll, which is about 95% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 51.4% boys and 48.6% girls. Around 26.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9.1%. Persistent absence is recorded at 26%. The school also includes resourced provision, supporting 22 pupils.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (59.5%). other white pupils make up about 11.3%
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Requires Improvement. This means the school has areas that require improvement. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 94% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (87%) , including 43% who stay in school sixth forms and 43% progressing to further education , while 4% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Wentworth Drive, Bedford, MK41 8PX |
| Website: | http://www.markrutherford.beds.sch.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01234290200 |
| School Type: | Academy converter |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Bedford |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Headteacher Kelli Foster |
| Religious character: | None |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 139160 |
Ofsted inspection date: 14/06/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 18 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1243 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1180 |
| Number of Boys: | 606 |
| Number of Girls: | 574 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9.1% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 26% | 8.2% |
| White British | 59.50% | 702 |
| Other White | 11.30% | 133 |
| African | 5.30% | 62 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 4.90% | 58 |
| Indian | 3.80% | 45 |
| Other Mixed | 2.50% | 30 |
| Unclassified | 2.30% | 27 |
| White and Asian | 2.20% | 26 |
| Caribbean | 1.90% | 22 |
| Other Asian | 1.20% | 14 |
| White and Black African | 1.10% | 13 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.10% | 13 |
| Pakistani | 1.00% | 12 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.90% | 11 |
| Other Black | 0.40% | 5 |
| Chinese | 0.30% | 4 |
| Irish | 0.30% | 3 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnoe Primary School Church Lane , MK41 0DH | - not rated | 830 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Putnoe Primary School Church Lane , MK41 0DH | 3out of 4 | 830 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Hills Academy Stancliffe Road , MK41 9AT | 3out of 4 | 1,370 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Hills Lower School Stancliffe Road , MK41 9AT | - not rated | 1,370 yd | Foundation school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Hazeldene School Stancliffe Road , MK41 9AT | 3out of 4 | 1,406 yd | Foundation school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Rutherford School Wentworth Drive , MK41 8PX | - not rated | 0 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Mark Rutherford School Wentworth Drive , MK41 8PX | 2out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Goldington Academy Haylands Way , MK41 9BX | 3out of 4 | 1,933 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT | 3out of 4 | 2,072 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Castle Newnham School Polhill Avenue , MK41 9DT | - not rated | 2,072 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside Middle School Church Lane , MK41 0DH | - not rated | 830 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Brickhill Middle School Falcon Avenue , MK41 7DS | - not rated | 1,836 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Goldington Middle School Haylands Way , MK41 9BX | - not rated | 1,933 yd | Foundation school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Park Wood Middle School Hawk Drive , MK41 7JE | - not rated | 2,365 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Beauchamp Middle School Hawk Drive , MK41 7JE | - not rated | 2,365 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School Brickhill Drive , MK41 7QZ | - not rated | 2,227 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The Acorn School 15 St Andrew's Road , MK40 2LL | - not rated | 2,625 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School Renhold Road , MK44 2PT | - not rated | 2,646 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Andrew's School 78 Kimbolton Road , MK40 2PA | - not rated | 2,720 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| KWS School 51 Brunel Road , Bedford MK41 9TJ | - not rated | 2,851 yd | Other independent school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.