All Saints Academy Dunstable
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 520 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.9
Foundation school
Sandy Secondary School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,259of 1,095 places
- Free school meals
- 21.6%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 184
- Ofsted
- Inspected, 24 June 2025Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 188 pupils who finished Year 11 at Sandy Secondary School in 2023, 35% stayed on in Sandy Secondary School’s own sixth form (Central Bedfordshire average 43%), 46% went to a further education college and 5% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 40 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 38% went to university (Central Bedfordshire 35%, England 37%), and 7% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Media Studies is unusually popular at GCSE: 28% of the year group took it, against 4% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 40.8 against 46.1 across England and 43.6 in Central Bedfordshire, with 37% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Central Bedfordshire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Sandy Secondary School | Central Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 188 | 2,928 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 81% | 88% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 35% | 43% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 2% | 13% |
| — further education college | 46% | 40% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Sandy Secondary School | Central Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 40 | 1,931 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 90% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 38% | 35% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 7% | 14% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 48% | 33% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 15% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Sandy Secondary School | Central Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 40.8 | 43.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 37% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 63% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 70% | 28% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.70 | 3.75 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 20% | 18% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 26.1 | 28.9 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 44.4 | 46.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 8% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 183 | 99% | 89% | 11% | 20% | 63% |
| Mathematics | 182 | 99% | 88% | 14% | 22% | 70% |
| English Literature | 174 | 95% | 86% | 4% | 21% | 66% |
| Combined Science | 119 | 65% | 65% | 0% | 9% | 37% |
| Spanish | 96 | 52% | 19% | 7% | 27% | 39% |
| History | 96 | 52% | 41% | 10% | 26% | 45% |
| Design and Technology | 74 | 40% | 11% | 14% | 23% | 42% |
| Biology | 59 | 32% | 23% | 25% | 45% | 86% |
| Geography | 57 | 31% | 41% | 25% | 25% | 63% |
| Physics | 55 | 30% | 23% | 25% | 46% | 91% |
| Statistics | 53 | 29% | 5% | 28% | 20% | 91% |
| Chemistry | 53 | 29% | 23% | 11% | 47% | 94% |
| Media Studies | 52 | 28% | 4% | 10% | 20% | 65% |
| Computer Science | 47 | 26% | 13% | 15% | 30% | 49% |
| Physical Education | 45 | 24% | 11% | 2% | 24% | 47% |
| Psychology | 43 | 23% | 3% | 7% | 22% | 44% |
| French | 39 | 21% | 18% | 13% | 29% | 49% |
| Drama | 35 | 19% | 7% | 6% | 27% | 46% |
| Sociology | 34 | 18% | 4% | 3% | 21% | 29% |
| Art and Design | 27 | 15% | 7% | 11% | 24% | 67% |
| Photography | 26 | 14% | 6% | 8% | 19% | 62% |
| Music | 22 | 12% | 5% | 5% | 33% | 59% |
| Religious Studies | 13 | 7% | 31% | 38% | 32% | 69% |
| Dance | 10 | 5% | 1% | 10% | 27% | 80% |
| Polish | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Portuguese | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 26 | 54% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 25 | 52% | — |
| Multimedia | 21 | 44% | — |
| Health Studies | 21 | 44% | — |
| Tourism | 20 | 42% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 17 | 35% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | 14 | 29% | — |
| Sports Studies | 11 | 23% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Sandy Secondary School | Central Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 123 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 48 | 1,152 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 31.64 | 32.68 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 13% | 14% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 17 | 35% | 31% |
| Physics | 14 | 29% | 12% |
| Biology | 11 | 23% | 20% |
| Psychology | 9 | 19% | 23% |
| English Literature | 8 | 17% | 11% |
| Sociology | 8 | 17% | 13% |
| Media Studies | 7 | 15% | 4% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 17 | 35% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 12 | 25% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 15% | — |
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 6 | 13% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | 6 | 13% | — |
| Mathematics (Numeracy) | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Computing and IT Advanced Technician | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire
Cedars Upper School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,135 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.5
Etonbury Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,158 pupils
93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.5
Harlington Upper School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,156 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.8
Manshead Church of England Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,134 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.0
Priory Academy
Academy converter · 830 pupils
93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.2
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.