Academy sponsor led · Bedford

Bedford Road Primary Academy

5–11Ages
365Pupils
PrimaryPhase
150474URN

Hillgrounds Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8QH · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Dec 2025

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.2per place

close to Bedford median (2.2)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Bedford

92 applications for 41 places · 20th of 38 in Bedford

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

46%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 9 December 2025Published 27 January 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

9 December 2025
Report card · 6 Expected standard, 1 Needs attention
4 May 2022
Graded inspection: Requires improvement · as Bedford Road Primary School, URN 109461

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

2.2applications per place, Reception

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

92 applications · 41 places offered · 41 named it first

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

This school
Bedford median

Dashed bars: as Bedford Road Primary School (URN 109461), 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	41	92	2.2	41	1.00
Sep 2025	52	105	2.0	45	0.87
Sep 2024	50	94	1.9	44	0.88
Sep 2023 *	48	106	2.2	43	0.90
Sep 2022 *	42	90	2.1	34	0.81
Sep 2021 *	60	108	1.8	47	0.78
Sep 2020 *	52	100	1.9	36	0.69
Sep 2019 *	42	100	2.4	37	0.88
Sep 2018 *	60	125	2.1	52	0.87
Sep 2017 *	44	114	2.6	39	0.89
Sep 2016 *	60	133	2.2	48	0.80
Sep 2015 *	60	127	2.1	57	0.95
Sep 2014 *	52	117	2.3	47	0.90

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 73% · Writing 64% · Maths 54% → all three 46% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard46%40th of 49 in Bedford

Bedford 58% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard73%

Bedford 73% England 78%

Higher standard24%

Bedford 28% England 33%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard64%

Bedford 70% England 75%

Greater depth7%

Bedford 3% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard54%

Bedford 71% England 77%

Higher standard14%

Bedford 20% England 24%

Average scaled score 100 (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	46%	3%	104	100
2023/24
2022/23

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

Bedford Road Primary AcademyThis school
This school

2025

2.2applications per place 46%met the SATs standard
Camestone School
0.8 km · Bedford

Remains Good2022

1.9applications per place 48%met the SATs standard
Balliol Primary School
0.9 km · Bedford

Good2022

2.8applications per place 39%met the SATs standard
Springfield Primary School
1.0 km · Bedford

Good2022

2.1applications per place 51%met the SATs standard
Kempston Rural Primary School
1.4 km · Bedford

Good2023

2.8applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Great Denham Primary School
1.5 km · Bedford

Outstanding2024

2.7applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
Cauldwell School
1.7 km · Bedford

2025

2.3applications per place 74%met the SATs standard
Westfield Primary School
1.8 km · Bedford

2026

2.5applications per place 48%met the SATs standard
Queen's Park Academy
1.9 km · Bedford

Good2022

1.5applications per place 61%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 sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 150474 · 822/2012
Trust: Knowledge Schools Trust
Capacity: 420 pupils · 365 on roll
Free school meals: 30.1% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 January 2024
Replaced: Bedford Road Primary School (URN 109461)
Address: Hillgrounds Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8QH
Local authority: Bedford

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