OFSTED
2 June 2026
Latest inspection
Latest published outcome
Met
Renewed framework
Safeguarding
Met
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum & teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance & behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development
Strong standard
Leadership & governance
Expected standard
INSPECTION HISTORY
Previous Ofsted activity
22 February 2022
Graded inspection
Good
Published
2 May 2022
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Free schools
Phase
Primary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Bedford
Trust
MERIDIAN TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
455
455 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
222
48.8% of pupils
Male pupils
233
51.2% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
6.1 pts
below England
School
18.7%
Bedford
20.1%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
12.4 pts
above England
School
32.7%
Bedford
23.1%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
1.0 pts
above England
School
2.0%
Bedford
1.8%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
26.6%
121
Pakistani
24.0%
109
African
8.1%
37
Bangladeshi
6.2%
28
Unclassified
6.2%
28
Indian
5.7%
26
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
16.9%
77 of
455 pupils
3.9 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
1.6 pts
below
England
6.0%
2.3 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 2 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
EXPECTED STANDARD
Reading, writing & maths
67.0%
6.6 pts
above England
EXPECTED STANDARD
82.0%
Reading
8.2 pts above England
School
82.0%
Bedford
69.5%
East of England
72.9%
England
73.8%
EXPECTED STANDARD
86.0%
Writing
15.7 pts above England
School
86.0%
Bedford
64.1%
East of England
68.0%
England
70.3%
EXPECTED STANDARD
76.0%
Maths
4.0 pts above England
School
76.0%
Bedford
66.1%
East of England
70.3%
England
72.0%
School results show the percentage of
pupils meeting the expected standard.
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages and are not
pupil-weighted official attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
5.06%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.15 pts
lower than
England
School
5.06%
Bedford
5.81%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
12.78%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
3.03 pts
lower than
England
School
12.78%
Bedford
15.50%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
0.57%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.24 pts
lower than
England
School
0.57%
Bedford
1.52%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open primary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
108.3%
20.1 pts
above England
Great Ouse Primary Academy
108.3%
Bedford
83.7%
East of England
87.4%
England
88.2%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.