Milton Ernest CofE Primary School
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Milton Ernest CofE Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Bedford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 67 pupils and room for 84. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 22 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 25% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Thurleigh Road, Milton Ernest, High Street, Upper Dean, Bedford, MK44 1RF01234 822079ewmeschools.org.ukMrs Lisa Virnuls headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 17 November 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
11 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | Bedford | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 11 | 5 | 8 | 12 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 55% | – | 63% | 67% | 56% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 9% | – | 0% | 8% | 3% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 103.0 | – | 108.0 | 106.0 | 104.7 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 104.0 | – | 109.0 | 106.0 | 103.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 105.0 | – | 106.0 | 108.0 | 104.0 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 64% | – | 75% | 83% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 82% | – | 75% | 83% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 55% | – | 63% | 75% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +1.0 | -1.3 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +2.9 | -1.5 | – | – |
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.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
16 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
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. Every child who applied got a place (5 offers for 12 places).
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 12 | 5 | 5 | – all offered | LA |
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.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (9).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 67 | 63 | 58 | 58 | 71 | 71 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 8% | 10% | 12% | 10% | 10% | 9% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 16% | 17% | 10% | 9% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% 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 | 5.5% | 5.0% | 6.4% | 6.0% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.4% | 4.1% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 2.3% | 3.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 16.7% | 10.2% | 21.8% | 16.9% | 6.2% | 7.5% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.9 | 4.2 | 7.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley Primary Academy | Academy | 1.7 miles | 210 | No overall grade 2024 | 53 | Compare |
| Pinchmill Primary School | Foundation | 1.9 miles | 88 | No overall grade 2025 | 10 | Compare |
| Ursula Taylor Church of England School | Academy | 2.4 miles | 350 | No overall grade 2025 | 41 | Compare |
| Thurleigh Primary School | Foundation | 2.6 miles | 92 | Good 2024 | 64 | Compare |
| Sharnbrook Primary | Academy | 2.6 miles | 216 | Good 2024 | 73 | Compare |
| Bromham CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 miles | 496 | Good 2023 | 78 | Compare |
| Scott Primary School & Nursery | Council | 3.1 miles | 469 | Good 2024 | 40 | Compare |
| Edith Cavell Primary School | Foundation | 3.4 miles | 292 | Good 2024 | 38 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Milton Ernest CofE Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Milton Ernest CofE Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woburn Lower School | Council | 14.8 miles | 65 | Good 2023 | 51 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 22 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 22% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 66. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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% | in line | -0.08 | 2025 results; 11 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 3.8 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.14 | Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 11 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.08 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.01 | 2024/25; 60 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.07 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 11 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 Milton Ernest CofE Primary School a good school?
The figures are weak. Milton Ernest CofE Primary School scores 22 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 25% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 66, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Milton Ernest CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Milton Ernest CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 17 November 2022.
How good are Milton Ernest CofE Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 55% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 9% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Milton Ernest CofE Primary School have?
67 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 84 places, so it is 80% full.
Is Milton Ernest CofE Primary School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 16 places were empty in 2024/25 (19% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Milton Ernest CofE Primary School?
Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Milton Ernest CofE Primary School?
The average class had 16.8 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
- Thurleigh Road, Milton Ernest, High Street, Upper Dean, Bedford, MK44 1RF
- Telephone
- 01234 822079
- Website
- www.ewmeschools.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lisa Virnuls
- Type of school
- Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 4-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of St Albans
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Ward
- Riseley
- Constituency
- North Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 109613 · LAESTAB 8223023 · UKPRN 10075753
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.
- Admissions outcomes: Bedford council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- 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.