Councillor wants action over 'depressing' grades

A politician has called for action to deal with poor exam performance in an area where GCSE results are the worst in the region.

Kathryn Woodfine, an independent Central Bedfordshire councillor, has described this year's results as "depressing and worrying".

Figures showed performance at GCSE level in Central Bedfordshire was below the national average.

The council said this year's Key Stages 2 and 4 results were "encouraging".

Figures from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) showed 15.3% of this year's GCSE results in Central Bedfordshire were at grade seven or above.

That compares to an East of England average of 22% and a national average of 21.8%.

The authority declared an education emergency in May, amid concerns about the 8,000 surplus school places in the area.

At least 25 schools were projected to be in deficit for the 2026/27 financial year.

Some councillors said the three-tier education system in Bedfordshire was partly to blame for the poor performance of pupils, who change schools twice instead of once between the ages of four and sixteen.

Central Bedfordshire is moving towards a two-tier system, but there is no definite timetable for the transition.

Woodfine is concerned that, while exam results are usually considered by councillors in April, the discussion next year may be compromised by the local elections that were due to take place.

She has called for a scrutiny committee to discuss the issue before for the elections.

Gareth Mackey, the executive member for children and families, said: "The move to a two-tier education system is one of the largest and most complex transformation programmes the council and schools have undertaken.

"Following successful transitions in Biggleswade and, most recently, Cranfield, we continue to work with schools and partners to determine which school area may be able to make the switch next.

"Through our Education Leadership Improvement Partnership, we are bringing together school leaders, council colleagues, the Department for Education and council teams to drive improvement across Central Bedfordshire.

"We recognise that educational outcomes in Central Bedfordshire need to improve and we are taking decisive action. At the same time, this summer's unvalidated provisional Key Stage 2 and 4 results were encouraging."

In a previous statement, the council had said this year's average grades in eight key subjects were almost 2% higher than in 2025.

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