Cedars Upper School is a mainstream secondary school in Leighton Buzzard, Central Bedfordshire, for children and young people aged 13 to 18. In January 2026, 57 of its 1,135 pupils (5%) were getting SEN support and 34 (3%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 13–18
- 1,135 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in Central Bedfordshire.
5% get SEN support
57 of 1,135 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
Lower than the England average.
3% have an EHC plan
34 of 1,135 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
About the same as the England average.
Most common needs
- Social, emotional and mental health21
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia19
- Autism18
- Moderate learning difficulty18
- Speech, language and communication6
- Physical disability5
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 13 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,135 (places for 1,350)
- Headteacher
- Mr Mark Gibbs
- Part of
- Chiltern Learning Trust
- Free school meals
- 15.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Central Bedfordshire
- School reference (URN)
- 137462
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask Central Bedfordshire council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Rated Good, April 2023
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2023.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Mentmore Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2AE
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- Benjamin College Independent · Ages 12–18 · Ofsted: Good 1.1 miles
- Brooklands Middle School Mainstream + base · Ages 9–13 · Ofsted: Good 1.3 miles
- The Rushmere Park Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 2–9 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.4 miles
- Oak Bank School Special school · Ages 9–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.1 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Linslade School Middle · Ages 9–13 · SEN support 9.2%, EHC plans 5% 0.1 miles
- Pulford CofE VA Lower School Primary · Ages 2–9 · SEN support 9.3%, EHC plans 3.9% 0.7 miles
- Leighton Middle School Middle · Ages 9–13 · SEN support 10.2%, EHC plans 4.5% 0.7 miles
All mainstream schools in Central Bedfordshire SEND schools in Central Bedfordshire
Questions about Cedars Upper School
How many pupils at Cedars Upper School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 57 of the 1,135 pupils (5%) were getting SEN support and 34 (3%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at Cedars Upper School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (21 pupils), dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (19 pupils) and autism (18 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at Cedars Upper School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at Cedars Upper School?
Through Central Bedfordshire council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to Cedars Upper School?
You can ask for Cedars Upper School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does Cedars Upper School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is Brooklands Middle School, about 1.3 miles away.
Where is Cedars Upper School?
Mentmore Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2AE, in Central Bedfordshire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.