Northill CofE Academy, Biggleswade
Northill CofE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Biggleswade, part of Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was 83% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Northill CofE Academy in detail
Northill CofE Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I hope that the information shared here will give you a flavour of our school and demonstrate to you all the wonderful things Northill CE Academy has to offer our children. This is a wonderful, community based village school and I am proud to be a part of it's journey."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care until 5:30pm.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Northill CofE Academy
For September 2026 entry, 7 families put Northill CofE Academy as their first choice and 21 named it as one of their preferences, for 9 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 Northill CofE Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Northill CofE Academy are Caldecote Church of England Academy (1.3 miles, Good); Moggerhanger Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 69% reading, 62% maths); Laburnum Primary School (2.1 miles, 78% reading, 81% maths); and St Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 50% reading, 42% maths).
Caldecote Church of England AcademyMoggerhanger Primary SchoolLaburnum Primary SchoolSt Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School
The trust
Northill CofE Academy is one of 15 schools run by Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Northill CofE Academy (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
1.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 18 pupils (27.3%) received SEN support and 2 (3%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Northill CofE Academy had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sandy Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Northill Lower School (adjacent), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).
Suspensions and exclusions
Northill CofE Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Northill CofE Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2021. Before that, as Northill CofE VA Lower School (URN 109621), it was rated Good in November 2014.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Northill is a happy place where your child will feel safe and well cared for. The school knows each pupil individually and has particularly strong support for children who need extra help. Classrooms are calm and focused, and staff model learning clearly so children grasp new ideas quickly.
Key Strengths
- Calm, purposeful classrooms where pupils are polite, attentive and eager to learn
- Strong support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, with careful adaptations helping them access the same learning as their peers
- Effective phonics teaching and a wealth of interesting books that motivate pupils to read widely
- Broad and balanced curriculum matched to national curriculum expectations with carefully considered knowledge progression
- Warm, welcoming environment where staff work closely together and support each other
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils read books that do not closely match the phonics sounds they have learned, limiting their progress as readers
- Some curriculum subjects lack high enough expectations and consistent standards, with pupils not always producing work that reflects their depth of knowledge
- Need for clearer shared understanding among staff about expected work standards in certain subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong systems in place to keep pupils safe and staff who care for their wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Archery club, cricket, choir, science club, technology club, residential trip with another school for transition preparation
Northill CofE Academy is a small, warm and welcoming primary school that has maintained good standards following its previous inspection. The school fosters a happy, nurturing atmosphere where pupils feel safe and are proud to attend.
At a Glance
21.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
16.5
Avg class size
17.0
Infant (KS1)
16.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Northill CofE Academy
From Northill CofE Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Northill CofE Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Northill CofE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Northill CofE Academy 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.
1 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 Northill CofE Academy
Will you get a place at Northill CofE Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Northill CofE Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Northill CofE Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Northill CofE Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Northill CofE Academy for 2022 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
83%
Available places
62 pupils
75 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Biggleswade
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Biggleswade
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
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
18
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
30.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
66
Total Pupils
37
Boys
29
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
11.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,894
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,196
Per pupil
£473k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
2.1%
Persistent absence
47
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Northill CofE Academy
What is Northill CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?
Northill CofE Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2021. Before that, as Northill CofE VA Lower School (URN 109621), it was rated Good in November 2014.
What is the catchment area for Northill CofE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Northill CofE Academy 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 Northill CofE Academy?
Northill CofE Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 75 places.
How big are the classes at Northill CofE Academy?
Classes at Northill CofE Academy average 16.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Northill CofE Academy?
Northill CofE Academy has around 66 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Northill CofE Academy?
4% of sessions were missed at Northill CofE Academy in 2024/25. 2.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Northill CofE Academy?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Northill CofE Academy 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 Northill CofE Academy?
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. 1 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 Northill CofE Academy?
Northill CofE Academy is at Bedford Road, Northill, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9AH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)