Mark Rutherford School is a mainstream secondary school with resourced provision in Bedford for children and young people aged 11 to 18. Its specialist base has 20 places for autism.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,150 pupils
- Ofsted report card (2025)
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 20 places, 22 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,150
- Headteacher
- Headteacher Kelli Foster (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Mark Rutherford School Trust
- Council
- Bedford
- School reference (URN)
- 139160
Needs its base supports
1 need: autism
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Bedford council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Report card, November 2025: Expected standard in 4 of 7 areas
Inspected in November 2025 under Ofsted’s new report cards, which grade each area separately, from Exceptional to Urgent improvement, instead of one overall grade.
- InclusionStrong standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Post-16Needs attention
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- SafeguardingMet
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, March 2020).
Contact and getting there
Wentworth Drive, Bedford, MK41 8PX
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Goldington Green Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 1.2 miles
- Cambian Walnut Tree Lodge School Independent · Ages 7–19 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 miles
- King's Oak Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 1–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 2.6 miles
By need in Bedford: Autism (7) · SEMH (3) · Severe learning (3) · Moderate learning (2)
Questions about Mark Rutherford School
How do I get a place in Mark Rutherford School’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Mark Rutherford School support?
Autism. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Mark Rutherford School take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is Mark Rutherford School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in November 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Mark Rutherford School?
Wentworth Drive, Bedford, MK41 8PX, in Bedford.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, 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.