Gravenhurst Academy
High Street, Gravenhurst, Bedford, MK45 4HY
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED
- Headteacher
- Mrs Debbie Randall
- Sponsor
- Bedfordshire Schools Trust Limited
- Constituency
- Mid Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 75
- Pupils on roll
- 72
- URN
- 140075
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01462711257
About this school
Gravenhurst Academy is a primary academy in Bedford. It teaches children aged 5 to 9 and has 72 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Gravenhurst Academy, 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
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Gravenhurst Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 52 |
| 2023/24 | 62 |
| 2024/25 | 72 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Gravenhurst Academy compares
Its absence rate was lower than 24% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 7.1% | 12.5% | 72 | — |
| Shillington Lower School | — | 6.9% | 8.4% | 94 | 1.1 miles |
| Meppershall Church of England Academy | 30% | 7.5% | 18% | 238 | 1.6 miles |
| Campton Academy | — | 3.4% | 4.6% | 128 | 1.8 miles |
| St Mary's VA CofE Lower School | — | 4% | 11.3% | 134 | 1.9 miles |
| Silsoe CofE VC Lower School | — | 4.5% | 12.2% | 251 | 2.1 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)
- 12.5%
- English as an additional language
- 1.4%
- Overall absence
- 7.13%
- Persistent absence
- 18.33%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Shillington Lower School1.1 miles
Primary · Hitchin
-
Meppershall Church of England Academy1.6 miles
Primary · Shefford
-
Campton Academy1.8 miles
Primary · Shefford
-
St Mary's VA CofE Lower School1.9 miles
Primary · Clophill
-
Silsoe CofE VC Lower School2.1 miles
Primary · Bedford
Other 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 Gravenhurst Academy teach?
- Gravenhurst Academy teaches children aged 5 to 9. It is a primary school in Bedford.
- Who is the headteacher of Gravenhurst Academy?
- The headteacher of Gravenhurst Academy is Mrs Debbie Randall, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Gravenhurst Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Gravenhurst Academy, 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 Gravenhurst Academy?
- Gravenhurst Academy has 72 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 9.
- Is Gravenhurst Academy full?
- Gravenhurst Academy has capacity for 75 pupils and 72 on roll (96%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Gravenhurst Academy a faith school?
- No. Gravenhurst Academy has no designated religious character.
- Does Gravenhurst Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Gravenhurst Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Is Gravenhurst Academy part of an academy trust?
- Gravenhurst Academy is part of BEDFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS TRUST LIMITED. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Gravenhurst Academy's absence rate?
- Gravenhurst Academy's overall absence rate is 7.1% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Gravenhurst Academy publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Gravenhurst Academy. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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 1 July 2026.