UK Schools
Samuel Whitbread Academy
Samuel Whitbread Academy is a mixed secondary academy in Shefford, Central Bedfordshire Council, teaching 1,657 pupils aged 13 to 18. Its last Ofsted inspection in March 2023 found the school remains Good. In 2024–2025, GCSE Attainment 8 was 46.7 (England 46.1). The 2025–2026 school year runs from 19 December 2025 to 22 July 2026.
Ofsted inspection
The latest published Ofsted judgement for Samuel Whitbread Academy.
Term dates & holidays 2025–2026
Autumn, spring and summer terms, half-terms, INSET days and bank holidays for Samuel Whitbread Academy.
- 1 Training Day
- 2 Training Day
- 3 First Day of School (Pupil Day)
- 27–31 Autumn Half Term Holiday
- 19 Last Day of Autumn Term
- 22–31 Christmas Holiday
- 25 Christmas Day (Bank Holiday)
- 26 Boxing Day (Bank Holiday)
- 1–2 Christmas Holiday
- 1 New Year's Day (Bank Holiday)
- 5 Training Day
- 6 First Day of Spring Term
- 16–20 Spring Half Term Holiday
- 27 Last Day of Spring Term
- 30–31 Easter Holiday
- 1–10 Easter Holiday
- 3 Good Friday (Bank Holiday)
- 6 Easter Monday (Bank Holiday)
- 13 Training Day
- 14 First Day of Summer Term
- 4 Early May Bank Holiday
- 25–29 Summer Half Term Holiday
- 25 Spring Bank Holiday
- 22 Last Day of Summer Term
- 23–31 Summer Holiday
- 1–31 Summer Holiday
- 31 Summer Bank Holiday
Key dates (2025–2026)
- Training Day Sep 1, 2025 Inset Day
- Training Day Sep 2, 2025 Inset Day
- First Day of School (Pupil Day) Sep 3, 2025 Event
- Autumn Half Term Holiday Oct 27-31, 2025 Holiday
- Last Day of Autumn Term Dec 19, 2025 Term
- Christmas Holiday Dec 22, 2025 - Jan 2, 2026 Holiday
- Training Day Jan 5, 2026 Inset Day
- First Day of Spring Term Jan 6, 2026 Term
- Spring Half Term Holiday Feb 16-20, 2026 Holiday
- Last Day of Spring Term Mar 27, 2026 Term
- Easter Holiday Mar 30 - Apr 10, 2026 Holiday
- Training Day Apr 13, 2026 Inset Day
- First Day of Summer Term Apr 14, 2026 Term
- Summer Half Term Holiday May 25-29, 2026 Holiday
- Last Day of Summer Term Jul 22, 2026 Term
- Summer Holiday Jul 23 - Aug 31, 2026 Holiday
- New Year's Day (Bank Holiday) Jan 1, 2026 Holiday
- Good Friday (Bank Holiday) Apr 3, 2026 Holiday
- Easter Monday (Bank Holiday) Apr 6, 2026 Holiday
- Early May Bank Holiday May 4, 2026 Holiday
- Spring Bank Holiday May 25, 2026 Holiday
- Summer Bank Holiday Aug 31, 2026 Holiday
- Christmas Day (Bank Holiday) Dec 25, 2025 Holiday
- Boxing Day (Bank Holiday) Dec 26, 2025 Holiday
Exam results & performance
The measures that carry the most signal. Open a section to compare Samuel Whitbread Academy with Central Bedfordshire Council and England.
Key stage 4 (GCSE) 46.7 Attainment 8 score
Year 11 results across eight qualifications, including English and maths.
This school Central Bedfordshire Council England
16 to 18 (A level & sixth form) 35.94 A level average point score
Results for students finishing post-16 study.
This school Central Bedfordshire Council England
Attendance 27.5% Persistently absent pupils
Absence across the whole school year.
This school Central Bedfordshire Council England
What pupils do after GCSEs 95% In education, apprenticeship or work
Still in education, an apprenticeship or work a year after key stage 4.
This school Central Bedfordshire Council England
What students do after 16 to 18 study 89% In education, apprenticeship or work
Destinations the year after finishing post-16 study.
This school Central Bedfordshire Council England
About this data source & caveats
Progress 8 is not published for 2024–2025. This year group missed their key stage 2 tests in 2020, so there is no baseline to measure progress from.
Attendance comparisons are pupil-weighted averages we calculate from every school’s published absence figure — the DfE absence file has no local authority or England rows of its own.
We show the headline measures only. Threshold and curriculum-policy figures — grade 4+ in English and maths, EBacc entry and points, the per-subject key stage 2 breakdown, academic and applied splits at 16 to 18 — reflect admissions and curriculum choices more than school quality, so they are left to GOV.UK. Progress measures matter most because they compare pupils with others who started at the same level; attainment on its own largely tracks a school’s intake.
Figures are the Department for Education’s official published results for Samuel Whitbread Academy. Results are suppressed where too few pupils were entered. England figures are the average for state-funded schools. “Top x%” is this school’s position among all schools in England with a published figure for that measure — the DfE does not publish league table rankings.
Source: Compare school and college performance, Department for Education. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Location & catchment area
Indicative only. This is a nearest-school (Voronoi) estimate — the area closer to Samuel Whitbread Academy than to any other secondary school. Real admissions depend on the school’s own policy (straight-line distance, siblings, faith, feeder schools and available places) and change each year. Always confirm with the school and local authority admissions team.