Great Denham Primary School, Bedford
Great Denham Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bedford, part of The Biddenham Campus Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 53 schools in Bedford with published results, and 4,824th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bedford (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Great Denham Primary School in detail
Great Denham Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Great Denham Primary School and Pre-School is situated at the heart of the Great Denham Community and conveniently situated for Bedford town and road links to the M1 and A1. Great Denham village is a new and growing community with facilities including a Nursery, Sainsbury's Local, independent retail outlets and The new Village Hall which opened in 2016."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:30am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 17 November 2026, an open evening on Tuesday 17 November 2026, an open day on Wednesday 18 November 2026 and an admissions event on Friday 16 April 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Bedford
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Great Denham Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 70% in Bedford and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (88% in reading, 78% in maths).
Getting a place at Great Denham Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 115 families put Great Denham Primary School as their first choice and 236 named it as one of their preferences, for 89 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 26 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Great Denham Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Great Denham Primary School are St James' CofE Academy (0.5 miles, 79% reading, 64% maths); Westfield Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 68% reading, 60% maths); St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School (0.8 miles, Good, 67% reading, 63% maths); and Queen's Park Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 84% reading, 79% maths).
Great Denham Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
St James' CofE AcademyWestfield Primary SchoolSt Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-SchoolQueen's Park Academy
The trust
Great Denham Primary School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Who goes there
12.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bedford Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northern Square (e-bound), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Great Denham Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 1.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Great Denham Primary School are Biddenham International School and Sports College (0.6 miles), Kempston Academy (1.5 miles) and Daubeney Academy (1.5 miles).
Biddenham International School and Sports CollegeKempston AcademyDaubeney Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
12.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 88% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 78% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.7
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
31.5
KS2
9
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Great Denham Primary School
Parents' Evening
21 Sep 2026
Autumn Newsletter 2 - 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Autumn Newsletter - Welcome - 4th September 2026
4 Sep 2026
Summer Newsletter 13 - 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Summer Newsletter 12 - 10th July
10 Jul 2026
Summer Newsletter 11 - 3rd July
3 Jul 2026
From Great Denham Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Great Denham Primary School
Term dates
Great Denham Primary School is a foundation school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bedford's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Great Denham Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Great Denham Primary School is in Bedford; for families living there:
Apply to Bedford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Bedford is 6 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Great Denham Primary School
Will you get a place at Great Denham Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Great Denham Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Great Denham Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Great Denham Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bedford, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Great Denham Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bedford got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
636 pupils
630 places
6 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bedford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bedford
Across Bedford council
Places available
2,655
Applications
1,990
Got 1st preference
93.4%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Bedford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
85
SEN Support
39
EHC Plans
18.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
677
Total Pupils
340
Boys
337
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
33
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,052
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,991
Per pupil
£3492k
Total funding
£124k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
8.8%
Persistent absence
559
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Great Denham Primary School
Questions parents ask about Great Denham Primary School
What are SATs results like at Great Denham Primary School?
Of the pupils at Great Denham Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Great Denham Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Great Denham Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Great Denham Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Great Denham Primary School is oversubscribed, Bedford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Great Denham Primary School?
Great Denham Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Great Denham Primary School?
Classes at Great Denham Primary School average 30.7 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Great Denham Primary School?
Great Denham Primary School has around 677 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Great Denham Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Great Denham Primary School in 2024/25. 8.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Great Denham Primary School?
Apply through Bedford's coordinated admissions process, naming Great Denham Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Great Denham Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Bedford is 6 (the median across 85 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Great Denham Primary School?
Great Denham Primary School is at Greenkeepers Road, Great Denham, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 4GG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)