Free schools · Bedford

Great Ouse Primary Academy

3–11Ages
455Pupils
PrimaryPhase
144746URN

Seaforth Gardens, Bedford, MK40 4TJ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jun 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.1per place

close to Bedford median (2.2)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Bedford

125 applications for 60 places · 25th of 38 in Bedford

Every year since 2018

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

67%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 2 June 2026Published 9 July 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Strong standard	Expected standard
Inclusion		Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching			Expected standard
Achievement			Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour		Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Strong standard
Early years		Strong 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

2 June 2026
Report card · 4 Strong standard, 3 Expected standard
22 February 2022
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

2.1applications per place, Reception

close to Bedford median (2.2) close to England median (2.2)

125 applications · 60 places offered · 63 named it first

2026 2.1; Bedford median median 2.2
2025 1.8; Bedford median median 1.9
2024 1.5; Bedford median median 1.8
2023 1.8; Bedford median median 1.8
2022 1.6; Bedford median median 1.8
2021 1.6; Bedford median median 1.9
2020 1.9; Bedford median median 1.9
2019 1.6; Bedford median median 1.9
2018 1.8; Bedford median median 1.9

More applications per place than the Bedford median in 1 of 9 years.

This school
Bedford median

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	60	125	2.1	63	1.05
Sep 2025	59	104	1.8	60	1.02
Sep 2024	57	87	1.5	55	0.96
Sep 2023	60	105	1.8	64	1.07
Sep 2022	60	95	1.6	56	0.93
Sep 2021	53	86	1.6	52	0.98
Sep 2020	60	116	1.9	71	1.18
Sep 2019	47	77	1.6	48	1.02
Sep 2018	41	73	1.8	40	0.98

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 82% · Writing 86% · Maths 76% → all three 67% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard67%12th of 49 in Bedford

Bedford 58% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard82%

Bedford 73% England 78%

Higher standard24%

Bedford 28% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard86%

Bedford 70% England 75%

Greater depth12%

Bedford 3% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard76%

Bedford 71% England 77%

Higher standard29%

Bedford 20% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (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	67%	12%	106	106
2023/24	78%	3%	109	110
2022/23	67%	0%	107	108

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

Great Ouse Primary AcademyThis school
This school

2026

2.1applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School
0.6 km · Bedford

Good2023

1.9applications per place 44%met the SATs standard
Queen's Park Academy
1.0 km · Bedford

Good2022

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

Good2023

2.6applications per place 49%met the SATs standard
Edith Cavell Primary School
1.0 km · Bedford

Remains Good2024

2.3applications per place 58%met the SATs standard
Westfield Primary School
1.0 km · Bedford

2026

2.5applications per place 48%met the SATs standard
St James' CofE Academy
1.3 km · Bedford

Standards maintained2025

4.1applications per place 54%met the SATs standard
Priory Primary School
1.3 km · Bedford

Graded · no overall grade2024

3.5applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Great Denham Primary School
1.8 km · Bedford

Outstanding2024

2.7applications per place 72%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: Free schools
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 144746 · 822/2003
Trust: Meridian Trust
Capacity: 420 pupils · 455 on roll
Free school meals: 18.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 11 September 2017
Address: Seaforth Gardens, Bedford, MK40 4TJ
Local authority: Bedford

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