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Best primary schools in Bedford

50 of 57 primary schools ranked by Met expected standard (RWM) · all Bedford schools · secondary schools

Ranked on Met expected standard (RWM), 2024/25 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

45 of 57 rated Good or Outstanding
6 oversubscribed on first preference
10 Good or better and undersubscribed — the overlooked ones
Median Met expected standard (RWM): 58.5% (best 81.0%)

#	School	Met expected standard (RWM)	Ofsted	Places	Catchment
1	Harrold Primary Academy Bedford	81.0%	Good improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
2	Cotton End Forest School Bedford	77.0%	Not judged declining	about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
3	Hazeldene School Bedford	75.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.25 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
4	Kymbrook Primary School Bedford	75.0%	Good	about even 1.14 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
5	Bromham CofE Primary School Bedford hidden gem	74.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
6	Cauldwell School Bedford	74.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.15 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
7	Elstow School Bedford	74.0%	Good	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
8	Great Denham Primary School Bedford	72.0%	Outstanding improving	oversubscribed 1.29 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
9	Turvey Primary School Bedford	71.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
10	Sharnbrook Primary Bedford	70.0%	Good improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
11	St Lawrence Church of England Primary School Rushden	68.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
12	Carlton CofE Primary School Bedford	67.0%	Not judged improving	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
13	Castle Newnham School Bedford hidden gem	67.0%	Outstanding	undersubscribed 0.78 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
14	Great Ouse Primary Academy Bedford	67.0%	Good	about even 1.05 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
15	Kempston Rural Primary School Kempston	67.0%	Good	about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
16	Oakley Primary Academy Bedford	63.0%	Not judged	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
17	The Hills Academy Bedford	63.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.22 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
18	Wilden CofE VA Primary School Bedford	63.0%	Good	about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
19	Goldington Green Academy Bedford	62.0%	Not judged	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
20	King's Oak Primary School Bedford	61.0%	Good	about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
21	Queen's Park Academy Bedford hidden gem	61.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
22	Eileen Wade Primary School Huntingdon hidden gem	60.0%	Good	undersubscribed 0.83 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
23	Shortstown Primary School Bedford	60.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
24	Wixams Tree Primary Academy Bedford	60.0%	Good improving	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
25	Scott Primary School & Nursery Bedford hidden gem	59.0%	Good improving	about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
26	Edith Cavell Primary School Bedford hidden gem	58.0%	Good	about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
27	Brickhill Primary School Bedford	57.0%	Good	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
28	Putnoe Primary School Bedford	57.0%	Good	about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
29	Riseley CofE Primary School Bedford	56.0%	Good declining	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
30	Milton Ernest CofE Primary School Bedford	55.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
31	Shackleton Primary School Bedford hidden gem	54.0%	Good	about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
32	St James' CofE Academy Bedford	54.0%	Good	about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
33	Springfield Primary School Bedford	51.0%	Good	about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
34	Priory Primary School Bedford	50.0%	Not judged improving	oversubscribed 1.57 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
35	Sheerhatch Primary School Bedford	50.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
36	Thurleigh Primary School Bedford	50.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
37	Livingstone Primary School Bedford	49.0%	Good	oversubscribed 1.17 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
38	St John Rigby Catholic Primary School Bedford hidden gem	49.0%	Good improving	about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
39	Camestone School Bedford hidden gem	48.0%	Good	about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
40	Westfield Primary School Bedford	48.0%	Good	about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
41	Bedford Road Primary Academy Bedford	46.0%	Requires improvement	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
42	Christopher Reeves CofE VA Primary School Podington	46.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
43	St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School Bedford	44.0%	Good	about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
44	Renhold VC Primary School Bedford	43.0%	Not judged declining	about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
45	Balliol Primary School Bedford	39.0%	Good	about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
46	Ursula Taylor Church of England School Bedford	35.0%	Not judged	about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
47	Pinchmill Primary School Bedford	29.0%	Not judged	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
48	Roxton Church of England Academy Bedford hidden gem	27.0%	Good	about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
49	Ravensden CofE Primary Academy Bedford	9.0%	Good	about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate
50	Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy Bedford	0.0%	Good improving	about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27	approximate

Also in Bedford

7 further primary schools with no published Met expected standard (RWM) for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Bedford, not a fairer one.

Applying in Bedford

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Secondary application deadline 2026-10-31 · 2027 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2027 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2026; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
Primary (Reception) application deadline 2027-01-15 · 2027 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2027 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2027; apply via your home local authority.
Secondary National Offer Day 2027-03-01 · 2027 entry Secondary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — state school Year 7 place offers (1 March).
Primary National Offer Day 2027-04-16 · 2027 entry Primary National Offer Day for September 2027 entry — Reception place offers (16 April).
Secondary application deadline 2027-10-31 · 2028 entry Secondary Common Application Form (CAF) deadline for September 2028 entry (Year 7). National statutory deadline 31 October 2027; apply via your home local authority. Selective/grammar registration, if any, is a separate earlier deadline.
Primary (Reception) application deadline 2028-01-15 · 2028 entry Primary (Reception) application deadline for September 2028 entry. National statutory deadline 15 January 2028; apply via your home local authority.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Bedford admission criteria.

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