Academy converter · Bedford

Shackleton Primary School

4–11Ages
487Pupils
PrimaryPhase
144545URN

Pearcey Road, Shackleton Primary School, Bedford, MK42 9LZ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jan 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.6per place

0.3 above Bedford median (2.2)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Bedford

148 applications for 58 places · 11th of 38 in Bedford

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

54%met the expected standard

Bedford 58% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 27 January 2026Published 12 March 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching		Expected standard
Achievement			Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

27 January 2026
Report card · 6 Expected standard, 1 Needs attention
28 September 2021
Graded inspection: Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.6applications per place, Reception

0.3 above Bedford median (2.2) 0.4 above England median (2.2)

148 applications · 58 places offered · 52 named it first

2026 2.6; Bedford median median 2.2
2025 2.3; Bedford median median 1.9
2024 2.5; Bedford median median 1.8
2023 2.4; Bedford median median 1.8
2022 2.0; Bedford median median 1.8
2021 2.0; Bedford median median 1.9
2020 2.4; Bedford median median 1.9
2019 2.1; Bedford median median 1.9
2018 2.7; Bedford median median 1.9
2017 2.3; Bedford median median 1.8
2016 1.9; Bedford median median 2.0; as the previous school
2015 2.6; Bedford median median 1.9; as the previous school
2014 3.1; Bedford median median 1.9; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Bedford median in 10 of 10 years.

This school
Bedford median

Dashed bars: as Shackleton Primary School (URN 109526), the previous school.

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	58	148	2.6	52	0.90
Sep 2025	60	137	2.3	56	0.93
Sep 2024	60	147	2.5	60	1.00
Sep 2023	59	142	2.4	66	1.12
Sep 2022	58	114	2.0	54	0.93
Sep 2021	60	120	2.0	61	1.02
Sep 2020	58	138	2.4	53	0.91
Sep 2019	62	131	2.1	54	0.87
Sep 2018	48	127	2.7	46	0.96
Sep 2017	63	146	2.3	57	0.90
Sep 2016 *	90	172	1.9	65	0.72
Sep 2015 *	60	153	2.6	63	1.05
Sep 2014 *	60	183	3.1	80	1.33

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 63% · Writing 66% · Maths 66% → all three 54% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard54%30th of 49 in Bedford

Bedford 58% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard63%

Bedford 73% England 78%

Higher standard14%

Bedford 28% England 33%

Average scaled score 103 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard66%

Bedford 70% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Bedford 3% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard66%

Bedford 71% England 77%

Higher standard20%

Bedford 20% England 24%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Bedford median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	54%	0%	103	104
2023/24	43%	0%	103	103
2022/23	29%	1%	102	100

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Shackleton Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

2.6applications per place 54%met the SATs standard
King's Oak Primary School
0.8 km · Bedford

2026

1.8applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
Cauldwell School
0.8 km · Bedford

2025

2.3applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
Elstow School
1.3 km · Bedford

Standards maintained2025

2.1applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
Camestone School
1.7 km · Bedford

Remains Good2022

1.9applications per place 48%met the SATs standard
Priory Primary School
1.7 km · Bedford

Graded · no overall grade2024

3.5applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Springfield Primary School
2.1 km · Bedford

Good2022

2.1applications per place 51%met the SATs standard
Queen's Park Academy
2.3 km · Bedford

Good2022

1.5applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
Livingstone Primary School
2.3 km · Bedford

Good2023

2.6applications per place 49%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 144545 · 822/2211
Trust: Heart Academies Trust
Capacity: 480 pupils · 487 on roll
Free school meals: 34.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 June 2017
Replaced: Shackleton Primary School (URN 109526)
Address: Pearcey Road, Shackleton Primary School, Bedford, MK42 9LZ
Local authority: Bedford

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources