Find the best primary schools in Bedford. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Bedford has 55 primary schools, all in Bedford council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 55, 15 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Bedford primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Great Denham Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Sharnbrook Primary | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Harrold Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Elstow School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Bromham CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Turvey Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Hazeldene School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Kymbrook Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Cauldwell School |
There are 55 primary schools in Bedford.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 55 primary schools in Bedford, 15 have a religious character: 13 Church of England and 2 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Great Denham Primary School (4.3), Sharnbrook Primary (4.1), Harrold Primary Academy (4.1), Elstow School (4.1) and Bromham CofE Primary School (4.0). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 55 schools here, 51 have enough published data for a rating.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
| Mixed |
| 3.8 / 5 |
| Cotton End Forest School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Putnoe Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Carlton CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| The Hills Academy | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Thurleigh Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Eileen Wade Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Brickhill Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Edith Cavell Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Livingstone Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Kempston Rural Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Oakley Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Scott Primary School & Nursery | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Wilden CofE VA Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Castle Newnham School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Lawrence Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Wixams Tree Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| St James' CofE Academy | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Great Ouse Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| St John Rigby Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.4 / 5 |
| Riseley CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| King's Oak Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Queen's Park Academy | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Wilstead Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Sheerhatch Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Shortstown Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Springfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Goldington Green Academy | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Roxton Church of England Academy | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Renhold VC Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Ravensden CofE Primary Academy | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Westfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Priory Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Christopher Reeves CofE VA Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Bedford Road Primary Academy | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Ursula Taylor Church of England School | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| Shackleton Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Milton Ernest CofE Primary School | Church of England | 2.8 / 5 |
| St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School | Roman Catholic | 2.8 / 5 |
| Pinchmill Primary School | Mixed | 2.7 / 5 |
| Balliol Primary School | Mixed | 2.5 / 5 |
| Camestone School | Mixed | 1.9 / 5 |
| Lakeview School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Willow Grove Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Wilstead Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Wootton Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.