Houghton Conquest Primary School, Bedford
Houghton Conquest Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bedford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. It was full in 2025, at 111% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Houghton Conquest Primary School in detail
Getting a place at Houghton Conquest Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 21 families put Houghton Conquest Primary School as their first choice and 40 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Houghton Conquest Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Houghton Conquest Primary School are Broadmead Lower School (1.7 miles, Good); Willow Grove Primary School (1.7 miles); Wilstead Primary School (1.7 miles); and Wixams Tree Primary Academy (1.8 miles, Good, 77% reading, 78% maths).
Broadmead Lower SchoolWillow Grove Primary SchoolWilstead Primary SchoolWixams Tree Primary Academy
Who goes there
1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (68%) and Mixed (14%).
In 2026, 11 pupils (7.9%) received SEN support and 4 (2.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Houghton Conquest Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stewartby Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village Hall (opposite), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Houghton Conquest Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 2.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Houghton Conquest Primary School are Marston Vale Middle School (1.6 miles) and Wixams Academy (1.7 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Community is at the very heart of this village school. Pupils, staff and parents appreciate and value this aspect of the school. Pupils benefit from the help, care and support that staff provide. Pupils feel safe. The school values of respect, honesty, teamwork, pride and resilience are woven across all areas of school life.
Staff have high aspirations for all pupils to achieve their best. Pupils live up to this. They concentrate, work hard in lessons and achieve well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed an ambitious and broad curriculum. Pupils' outcomes are typically improving year on year. A planned curriculum which starts in early years is in place. Some curriculum subjects are more established than others.
The school has considered what children learn in pre-school and how this prepares children for future learning. Children learn the routines of school quickly. They engage in meaningful planned learning tasks straight away. When required, adults support children in their learning. Equally, adults know when to step back and allow children to be independent learners. As a result, children in early years achieve well and are prepared for Year 1.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
17.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
19.3
Avg class size
15.0
Infant (KS1)
21.5
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Houghton Conquest Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Houghton Conquest Primary School.
- Kidz Zone Club - Houghton Conquest Lower SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Houghton Conquest Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Houghton Conquest Primary School is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 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 Houghton Conquest Primary School
Will you get a place at Houghton Conquest Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Houghton Conquest Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Houghton Conquest Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Houghton Conquest Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Houghton Conquest Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Central Bedfordshire 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
111%
Over capacity
111 pupils
100 places
11 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 Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
4,158
Applications
3,678
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
10.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
139
Total Pupils
72
Boys
67
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
17.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,017
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,216
Per pupil
£765k
Total funding
£33k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.8%
Overall absence
19.3%
Persistent absence
88
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
Houghton Conquest Primary School
Questions parents ask about Houghton Conquest Primary School
What is Houghton Conquest Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Houghton Conquest Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for Houghton Conquest Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Houghton Conquest Primary School is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Houghton Conquest Primary School?
Houghton Conquest Primary School was full in 2025, at 111% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Houghton Conquest Primary School?
Classes at Houghton Conquest Primary School average 19.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Houghton Conquest Primary School?
Houghton Conquest Primary School has around 139 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Houghton Conquest Primary School?
5.8% of sessions were missed at Houghton Conquest Primary School in 2024/25. 19.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Houghton Conquest Primary School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Houghton Conquest 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.
Does Houghton Conquest Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kidz Zone Club - Houghton Conquest Lower School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Houghton Conquest Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Houghton Conquest Primary School?
Houghton Conquest Primary School is at High Street, Houghton Conquest, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 3LL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)