The Hills Academy

A good academy converter school in Bedford. Explore Ofsted ratings, admissions information, and performance data for The Hills Academy.

Bedford, MK419AT Ofsted: Good Age 3-11 Mixed intake
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Performance Score

Overall school rating

63

/ 100

Primary weighted harmonic mean of 3 indicators

Indicators used for Primary schools

KS2 pupils meeting expected standard
61.2
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 40.0%
Raw: 72.0%
KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard
56.2
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 30.0%
Raw: 10.0%
Ofsted inspection outcome
75.0
/ 100 normalized
Weight: 30.0%
Raw: Good

How we weight each phase

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Primary schools

  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 40.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Secondary schools

  • Progress 8 score 40.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

All-through schools

  • Progress 8 score 25.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils meeting expected standard 20.0%
  • KS2 pupils exceeding expected standard 15.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Secondary with Sixth Form schools

  • Progress 8 score 20.0%
  • English & Maths grade 4+ % 20.0%
  • Continue in education or training 20.0%
  • Sustained employment 20.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 20.0%

Sixth Form Only schools

  • Continue in education or training 40.0%
  • Sustained employment 30.0%
  • Ofsted inspection outcome 30.0%

Special schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Alternative Provision schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Independent schools

  • Ofsted inspection outcome 100.0%

Ofsted Inspection

Official inspection outcomes

Good
Overall effectiveness
Good
Last inspected
5 February 2020
Previous grade
Outstanding
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

Source: Ofsted inspection outcomes. Grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate.

Contact Information

How to reach this school

Source: GIAS
Address
Stancliffe Road
Bedford, MK419AT

Location

Find the school on the map

Source: Geocoding

School Information

Basic details and characteristics

Source: GIAS
URN
139522
Type
Academy converter
Phase
Primary
Address
Stancliffe Road, Bedford, MK41 9AT
Age range
3-11
Gender
Mixed
School status
Open
Trust/MAT
THE HILLS ACADEMY
Capacity
420 pupils
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Sixth Form
No
Nursery
Yes

School Performance Data

Official government statistics

Source: DfE

School Demographics

Total Pupils
447
Free School Meals
11.5% (51 pupils)
Special Educational Needs
1.6% (7 pupils)

Daily Attendance

Attendance Rate
95.2%
Excellent
Persistent Absence
10.7%
Missing 10%+ of school days

Detailed Performance Metrics

Meeting Expected Standard:
72.0%
Exceeding Expected Standard:
10.0%
Reading Score:
107.0
Maths Score:
105.0
Grammar Score:
109.0

Key Performance Indicators

Reading, Writing & Maths (Expected):
72.0 (+13.2 vs average)
Low Persistent Absence:
10.7 (6.8 below average)

Historical Performance

Year Mat Average Read Average
2024 105.0 107.0
2023 104.0 105.0

Historical data shows year-over-year performance trends

Calculated Fields

Derived insights and analysis

Source: Calculated

Class Size Information

Average Class Size
25 pupils
Very Good
Pupils per Year Group
50
Average across all year groups
Total School Size
447 pupils
3-11

Performance Trend

Improving trend (+1.5 per year)

Up 1.5% over 3 years

📈

From the School Website

Information extracted from the school's own website

Source: School Website

Ethos & Values

Honesty and Trust Unity and Co-operation Understanding, Thoughtfulness and Appreciation Kindness, Respect and Tolerance Responsibility, Courage and Perseverance Patience, Caring and Humility Friendship Happiness Love Freedom Peace Hope Quality

Head Teacher's Message

Headteacher Moya Whitehead introduces The Hills Academy as a diverse, welcoming and ambitious community where every child is valued. She highlights a culture where equality, inclusion, high standards, safety, and broad opportunities are priorities, and where staff, governors, and families work in partnership to support children’s academic and personal development.

Facilities

Trinity College Pool (Swimming lessons) – facility used for swimming Hall (Prime Time registration and activities) Prime Time room Computer Suite Library Climbing wall on playground

Curriculum Highlights

All subjects follow the National Curriculum (please see whole school curriculum map). Year 5 swimming lessons continuing to build confidence, with a Life Saving program similar to the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Year 6 includes cold water survival training. Residential trips: yearly camping trips to Bryher (Isles of Scilly) and biannual trips to Paris. Music lessons across a wide range of instruments typically start in Year 3, with additional extracurricular music options. Year groups have access to a whole-school curriculum map and year-specific curriculum documents (e.g., Year 3/Year 4/Year 5/Year 6 curriculum documents).

Wraparound Care

Breakfast Club: Yes After-School Care: Yes

Prime Time before & after school care runs daily during term time: 7:30–8:30am (Morning Club with breakfast from 8:00–8:30am) and 3:30–6:00pm. Registration has an annual fee of £10 per child. Booking and payments are via Magic Booking. Sessions include a range of activities and can be canceled up to 2 hours before the session. Morning care includes a free breakfast option from 8:00–8:30am. Morning and after-school care are supervised by staff and chargeable per session.

Admissions Criteria

Nursery admissions occur in September after a child’s third birthday; spaces in January or April may be available with a waiting list. Nursery can be full-time or part-time (five sessions per week funded by the government) and has capacity for 30 morning and 30 afternoon places. Admissions to Nursery are decided by the school. Children may join Reception in September after their fourth birthday. Admissions to Reception through to Year 6 are decided by the local authority according to the admissions policy; a Nursery place does not guarantee a Reception place. Reception to Year 6 consists of two classes per year group (up to 30 per class). Primary applications are usually required by early January for a September start. More information is available in this section or on the Bedford Borough website.

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