Great Ouse Primary Academy
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Great Ouse Primary Academy is a free school in Bedford for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 455 pupils, 35 more than it has places for. About 19 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 64 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in June 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Seaforth Gardens, Bedford, MK40 4TJ01234 907890greatouse.beds.sch.ukMr Chris Payne headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 2 June 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 22 February 2022 | S5 Inspection | Good |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
51 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 51 | 32 | 30 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% | 78% | 67% | 56% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 12% | 3% | 0% | 3% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 106.0 | 109.0 | 107.0 | 104.7 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 106.0 | 110.0 | 108.0 | 103.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 108.0 | 111.0 | 109.0 | 104.0 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 82% | 88% | 87% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 76% | 94% | 90% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 86% | 81% | 70% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +1.1 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +2.3 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 46% | – | 57% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 74% | – | 70% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 4 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 31% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
The last child to get a place lived 1.2 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.2 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 60 | 70 | 60 | 1.2 miles | LA |
What a home within 1.2 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.8 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (23), Moderate learning difficulty (16), language and communications needs (14), Specific learning difficulty (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Hearing impairment (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 455 | 444 | 417 | 383 | 345 | 280 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 19% | 19% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 33% | 36% | 40% | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 11% | 11% | 14% | 15% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.1% | 5.7% | 6.4% | 5.8% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.1% | 4.1% | 5.1% | 4.7% | 2.9% | 3.0% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.0% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 0.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 12.8% | 13.4% | 20.0% | 14.5% | 5.1% | 3.5% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School | Academy | 620 m | 271 | Good 2023 | 14 | Compare |
| Queen's Park Academy | Academy | 980 m | 446 | Good 2022 | 67 | Compare |
| Livingstone Primary School | Foundation | 0.6 miles | 457 | Good 2023 | 40 | Compare |
| Edith Cavell Primary School | Foundation | 0.6 miles | 292 | Good 2024 | 38 | Compare |
| Westfield Primary School | Council | 0.6 miles | 298 | Good 2022 | 25 | Compare |
| St James' CofE Academy | Academy | 0.8 miles | 194 | Not inspected | 37 | Compare |
| Priory Primary School | Foundation | 0.8 miles | 214 | No overall grade 2024 | 27 | Compare |
| Great Denham Primary School | Foundation | 1.1 miles | 677 | Outstanding 2024 | 83 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Great Ouse Primary Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 64 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 64% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 40 to 82. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | above | +0.10 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 51 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.03 | Ofsted report card, 0.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.00 | DfE progress measure; 51 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | -0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.01 | 2024/25; 352 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.02 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 51 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Great Ouse Primary Academy a good school?
It is about average. Great Ouse Primary Academy scores 64 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 40 to 82, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Great Ouse Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 2 June 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.
How good are Great Ouse Primary Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 67% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 12% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Great Ouse Primary Academy have?
455 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 108% full.
Is Great Ouse Primary Academy oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.2 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Great Ouse Primary Academy?
Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Great Ouse Primary Academy?
The average class had 28.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Seaforth Gardens, Bedford, MK40 4TJ
- Telephone
- 01234 907890
- Website
- www.greatouse.beds.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Chris Payne
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Meridian Trust (36 schools)
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Ward
- Queens Park
- Constituency
- Bedford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 11 September 2017
- URN
- 144746 · LAESTAB 8222003 · UKPRN 10064836
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Bedford council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.