Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 23 June 2026
Compared with the local authority and England
The share of pupils reaching the standard expected for their age, and the share going beyond it.
| Measure | School | Central Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing & maths — expected | 29% | 50% | 63% |
| Reading, writing & maths — higher | 6% | 3% | 8% |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling — expected | 59% | 66% | 73% |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling — higher | 6% | 20% | 30% |
A score of 100 is the expected standard; 110 or more is a higher standard.
| Subject | School | Central Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 102 | 104 | 106 |
| Maths | 100 | 103 | 105 |
| Grammar, punctuation & spelling | 100 | 103 | 105 |
School workforce census, 2025/26.
Ofsted’s survey of parents at this school
81%
of parents would recommend this school to another parent
26 responses up to 2 September 2024 · 22% response rate
My child is happy at this school.
100% agreeMy child feels safe at this school.
100% agreeThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
88% agreeMy child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.
43% agreeThe school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.
69% agreeOfsted inspected John Donne Church of England Primary School on 23 June 2026 using a report card, which grades each area separately and gives no overall grade. The school met Ofsted's safeguarding standards. It was graded Expected standard for curriculum and teaching, for inclusion, for leadership and governance, for personal development and wellbeing, for attendance and behaviour and for early years; Needs attention for achievement.
Apply through the council where you live by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference, and offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day. A place in its nursery class does not carry on into Reception, so you still need to apply. As a Church of England school it may also ask for a supplementary form, and its admissions policy says whether it does.
No. Distance only counts when John Donne Church of England Primary School has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its governing body, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. As a Church of England school, it can give priority to children on grounds of faith. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
John Donne Church of England Primary School had 121 pupils aged 3 to 11 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 208. It is a mixed school.
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