Best primary schools in Bedford (2026)
Bedford has 20 ranked primary schools with published results. The top-ranked is Hazeldene School, in the top 23% in England. The average reading, writing & maths here in 2025 was 59%, against 62% for England. 0 are in England's top 10%, and 0 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
| Rank | School | Reading, writing & maths (2023–2025 average) | Reading, writing & maths 2025 | Trend | Higher standard | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 23% in England |
Hazeldene School Bedford |
72% | 75% | 8% | No rating | |
2 Top 32% in England |
Great Ouse Primary Academy Bedford |
71% | 67% | 12% | Report card | |
3 Top 33% in England |
Elstow School Bedford |
69% | 74% | 5% | No rating | |
4 Top 37% in England |
Castle Newnham School Bedford |
67% | 67% | 8% | Report card | |
5 Top 42% in England |
The Hills Academy Bedford |
65% | 63% | 10% | Good | |
6 Bottom 44% in England |
Putnoe Primary School Bedford |
62% | 57% | 2% | Good | |
7 Bottom 41% in England |
St James' CofE Academy Bedford · Church of England |
59% | 54% | 11% | No rating | |
8 Bottom 35% in England |
Brickhill Primary School Bedford |
59% | 57% | 0% | No rating | |
9 Bottom 34% in England |
Goldington Green Academy Bedford |
58% | 62% | 0% | Not judged | |
10 Bottom 34% in England |
King's Oak Primary School Bedford |
58% | 61% | 2% | Report card | |
11 Bottom 30% in England |
Scott Primary School & Nursery Bedford |
57% | 59% | 3% | No rating | |
12 Bottom 30% in England |
Cauldwell School Bedford |
58% | 74% | 2% | Report card | |
13 Bottom 29% in England |
Edith Cavell Primary School Bedford |
56% | 58% | 0% | No rating | |
14 Bottom 14% in England |
Westfield Primary School Bedford |
49% | 48% | 0% | Good | |
15 Bottom 14% in England |
Livingstone Primary School Bedford |
49% | 49% | 0% | Good | |
16 Bottom 13% in England |
Queen's Park Academy Bedford |
49% | 61% | 0% | Good | |
17 Bottom 13% in England |
St John Rigby Catholic Primary School Bedford · Roman Catholic |
47% | 49% | 4% | Good | |
18 Bottom 8% in England |
Priory Primary School Bedford |
44% | 50% | 0% | Not judged | |
19 Bottom 6% in England |
Shackleton Primary School Bedford |
42% | 54% | 0% | Report card | |
20 Bottom 6% in England |
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School Bedford · Roman Catholic |
41% | 44% | 0% | Good |
Other towns in Bedfordshire
Also see
Questions
What is the best primary school in Bedford?
On exam results over the last three years, Hazeldene School is the top-ranked primary school in Bedford, in the top 23% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.