Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy
Silver Street, Bedford, MK44 3HZ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF ST ALBANS MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs S Evans
- Diocese
- Diocese of St Albans
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Diocese of St Albans
- Constituency
- North Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 176
- URN
- 143770
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01234870342
About this school
Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Bedford. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 176 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person 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
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- 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 | 27 | 23 | 35 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 56% | 39% | 0% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 78% | 70% | 66% |
| Expected standard in maths | 70% | 70% | 60% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 81% | 78% | 63% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 103.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 102.0 | 102.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.80 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -2.00 | - | - |
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 Great Barford Church of England Primary 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 | Bedford average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 56% | 50.7% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 39% | 53.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 0% | 52.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 228 |
| 2023/24 | 217 |
| 2024/25 | 203 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy compares
Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy ranked 51st of 51 primary schools in Bedford for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 0% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 54% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 0% | 5.2% | 20.6% | 176 | — |
| John Donne Church of England Primary School | 29% | 5.5% | 17.4% | 119 | 1.6 miles |
| Moggerhanger Primary School | 62% | 4.1% | 15.6% | 119 | 1.8 miles |
| Roxton Church of England Academy | 27% | 6.9% | 29.4% | 70 | 2.2 miles |
| Renhold VC Primary School | 43% | 5% | 7.3% | 191 | 2.6 miles |
| Maple Tree Primary School | 71% | 4% | 11.2% | 241 | 2.6 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)
- 20.56%
- English as an additional language
- 11.3%
- Overall absence
- 5.21%
- Persistent absence
- 12.42%
Location
Nearby schools
-
John Donne Church of England Primary School1.6 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Moggerhanger Primary School1.8 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Roxton Church of England Academy2.2 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Renhold VC Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Maple Tree Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Sandy
Other schools in Bedford
Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy ranks 53rd 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 year groups does Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy teach?
- Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Bedford.
- Who is the headteacher of Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy?
- The headteacher of Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy is Mrs S Evans, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Great Barford Church of England Primary 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 big is Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy?
- Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy has 176 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy full?
- Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy has capacity for 210 pupils and 176 on roll (84%), 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 Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Albans.
- Does Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy?
- Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy is part of DIOCESE OF ST ALBANS MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 56% in 2022/23 and 0% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy rank locally?
- Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy ranked 51st of 51 primary schools in Bedford for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 0% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 54% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy's absence rate?
- Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy's overall absence rate is 5.2% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy'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 10 July 2026.