Mark Rutherford School
About the school
Mark Rutherford School is an open secondary school in Bedford.
Latest Ofsted inspection
Published Ofsted information, current as at 31 July 2026. Inspection outcomes are not performance rankings.
- Latest inspection
- 11 November 2025
- Published
- 11 January 2026
- Inspection type
- Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1
Published inspection outcomes
Safeguarding
Met
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Post-16 provision
Needs attention
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Previous inspection framework
These judgements are retained by Ofsted from an earlier inspection framework.
Overall effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Requires improvement
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Yes
Early years
Not applicable
Sixth form
Good
Results and school context
GCSE and key stage 4
Attainment 8
- School
- 41.5
- Bedford
- 44.4
- England
- 46.1
Progress 8
The DfE has not published this measure for 2024/25.
- School
- N/A
- Bedford
- N/A
- England
- N/A
English and maths grade 5+
- School
- 39.50%
- Bedford
- 43.70%
- England
- 45.40%
English and maths grade 4+
- School
- 61.80%
- Bedford
- 64.60%
- England
- 64.80%
EBacc entry
- School
- 15.00%
- Bedford
- 37.50%
- England
- 40.50%
EBacc average point score
- School
- 3.52
- Bedford
- 3.89
- England
- 4.09
A levels and sixth form
Average A-level grade
- School
- C-
Average A-level points
- School
- 28.29
AAB or better
- School
- 11.60%
Pupil context and attendance
DfE context data for 2024/25. These characteristics provide context and are not quality ratings.
Pupils on roll
1180
Girls
48.64%
Boys
51.36%
SEN support
14.58%
Education, health and care plan
3.64%
English as an additional language
13.60%
Eligible for free school meals in the past six years
27.13%
Overall absence
9.13
Persistent absence
28.66
Pupil destinations
DfE destination measures from the 2024/25 release. These outcomes are published after a time lag.
After Key Stage 4
Cohort
197
Sustained education or employment
91%
Education
86%
Apprenticeship
3%
Employment
2%
Not sustained
5%
After 16–18 study
Cohort
87
Sustained education or employment
91%
Higher education
61%
Further education
3%
Apprenticeship
3%
Employment
23%