Ivel Valley School and College

Special school · All-through, ages 3 to 19 · Mixed · Nursery class · Sixth form

Hitchmead Road, Biggleswade, SG18 0NL

01767 601010 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 24 September 2014; confirmed, may be improving 2023
Pupils261Room for 264 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 186 in 2019, 199 in 2021, 224 in 2022, 243 in 2023, 245 in 2024, 259 in 2025, 261 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals43%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 24 September 2014.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Outcomes for pupilsGood
Leadership and managementGood
Early yearsGood
Sixth formGood

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 20 September 2023: Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

46 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 93% 88%
My child feels safe at this school 89% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 85% 84%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 15 parents whose child had been bullied 47% 49%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 34 parents who had raised a concern 85% 75%
I would recommend this school to another parent 87%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

20 pupils in this year group.

0% — 50 points below the Central Bedfordshire average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 50% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 3% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 70% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 61% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 66% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 104 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 103 105

"Not published": No figure published.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

13 pupils in this year group.

100% — 7 points above the Central Bedfordshire average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 93% 92%
School sixth form 0% 43% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 2% 13%
Further education college 8% 40% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 3% 3%
Work 0% 3% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
88%100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Central Bedfordshire. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Central Bedfordshire

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia); Visual impairment; Other difficulties or disabilities; Hearing impairment; Speech, language and communication needs; Autism; Social, emotional and mental health needs; Multi-sensory impairment; Physical disability; Moderate learning difficulties; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 39.8% 41.6%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 100.0%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.0%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 2.3% 8.1%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 10.3% 12.2%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 25.8% 34.1%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 1.9 10.4 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 1.2% 5.5% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 3.1 4.6 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 0.8 1.5 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 9.1% 10.9%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Questions parents ask

What is Ivel Valley School and College's Ofsted rating?

Ivel Valley School and College was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 24 September 2014. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 20 September 2023, Ofsted found the school was still Good and may be improving, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

Would parents recommend Ivel Valley School and College?

87% of the 46 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 4 September 2023 and 2 September 2024 said they would recommend Ivel Valley School and College to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.