Thurleigh Primary School
High Street, Thurleigh, Bedford, MK44 2DB
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Foundation school
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Headteacher
- Ms Debonair Brown
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Federation
- The Federation of Kymbrook Primary School and Thurleigh Primary School
- Constituency
- North Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 92
- URN
- 109486
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01234771252
About this school
Thurleigh Primary School is a foundation primary school in Bedford. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 92 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Thurleigh Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 16 | 10 | 10 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 81% | 80% | 50% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 10% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 94% | 80% | 70% |
| Expected standard in maths | 94% | 80% | 80% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 75% | 70% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 112.0 | 109.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 110.0 | 107.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | +3.50 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -1.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +3.10 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Thurleigh Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Bedford average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 81% | 50.7% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 80% | 53.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 50% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 81 |
| 2023/24 | 78 |
| 2024/25 | 89 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Thurleigh Primary School compares
Thurleigh Primary School ranked 37th of 51 primary schools in Bedford for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 21% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 41% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 50% | 5.8% | 28.6% | 92 | — |
| Kymbrook Primary School | 75% | 5.3% | 4.2% | 76 | 2.5 miles |
| Milton Ernest CofE Primary School | 55% | 5.5% | 9.5% | 67 | 2.6 miles |
| Riseley CofE Primary School | 56% | 4.6% | 11.5% | 121 | 3.0 miles |
| Ravensden CofE Primary Academy | 9% | 6% | 23% | 51 | 3.1 miles |
| Wilden CofE VA Primary School | 63% | 5.4% | 16.7% | 45 | 3.4 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 28.57%
- English as an additional language
- 3.4%
- Overall absence
- 5.83%
- Persistent absence
- 20.59%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Kymbrook Primary School2.5 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Milton Ernest CofE Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Riseley CofE Primary School3.0 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Ravensden CofE Primary Academy3.1 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Wilden CofE VA Primary School3.4 miles
Primary · Bedford
Other schools in Bedford
Thurleigh Primary School ranks 37th of the 53 ranked primary schools in Bedford.
- Balliol Primary School Primary
- Bedford Road Primary Academy Primary
- Brickhill Primary School Primary
- Broadmead Lower School Primary
- Bromham CofE Primary School Primary
- Camestone School Primary
- Carlton CofE Primary School Primary
- Castle Newnham School Primary
- Cauldwell School Primary
- Cotton End Forest School Primary
- Cranfield Church of England Academy Primary
- Edith Cavell Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Thurleigh Primary School teach?
- Thurleigh Primary School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Bedford.
- Who is the headteacher of Thurleigh Primary School?
- The headteacher of Thurleigh Primary School is Ms Debonair Brown, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Thurleigh Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Thurleigh Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Thurleigh Primary School?
- Thurleigh Primary School has 92 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Thurleigh Primary School full?
- Thurleigh Primary School has capacity for 105 pupils and 92 on roll (88%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Thurleigh Primary School a faith school?
- No. Thurleigh Primary School has no designated religious character.
- Does Thurleigh Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Thurleigh Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is Thurleigh Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Thurleigh Primary School is part of the The Federation of Kymbrook Primary School and Thurleigh Primary School federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Thurleigh Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 81% in 2022/23 and 50% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Thurleigh Primary School compare with other schools in Bedford?
- Thurleigh Primary School ranked 37th of 51 primary schools in Bedford for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 21% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 41% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Thurleigh Primary School's absence rate?
- Thurleigh Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Thurleigh Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Thurleigh Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.