Potton Primary School, Sandy
Potton Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Sandy. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 7 schools in Sandy with published results, and 12,428th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Potton Primary School in detail
Potton Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Potton Primary School consists of The Roots (for children in Reception to Year 3 and The Branches (For children from Year 4 through to Year 6). We share a spacious, excellently resourced site in the East Bedfordshire town of Potton and attract children from Potton itself as well as the surrounding villages."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils at Potton Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 61% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 66% in Central Bedfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Potton Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 69 families put Potton Primary School as their first choice and 98 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Potton Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Potton Primary School are Sutton CofE VA Primary School (1.3 miles, Good); Everton Heath Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 75% reading, 58% maths); Gamlingay Village Primary (2.1 miles, Good, 66% reading, 57% maths); and St Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 50% reading, 42% maths).
Potton Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Sutton CofE VA Primary SchoolEverton Heath Primary SchoolGamlingay Village PrimarySt Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School
What parents say
80 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Potton Primary School (as of September 2025): 86% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 73% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (73%).
Who goes there
1.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Mixed (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sandy Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Burgoyne Court (adjacent), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 19 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
In 2024/25, Potton Primary School issued 15 suspensions, 3.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 agoThis judgement is from October 2010, 16 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Potton Primary School creates a happy, friendly environment where children enjoy learning and being together. Teachers explain ideas clearly and work closely with parents to help every child succeed, especially those who need additional support. The school builds strong values and helps children develop into well-rounded young people who understand right from wrong.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching that helps pupils become fluent and confident readers by the end of Year 1 - pupils who need extra help catch up quickly
- Excellent identification and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with carefully tailored provision
- Well-developed moral values among pupils, who understand right from wrong and show respect for different views and beliefs
- Effective work improving attendance, with swift action taken if pupils start missing school
- Strong and stable leadership following a period of significant change when the school became a primary school
Areas for Improvement
- Some lessons are not precisely matched to pupils' needs - activities can be too hard or too easy for some pupils, affecting their learning
- Not all staff fully understand and apply the school's new behaviour management approach consistently
- The governing board needs to develop stronger oversight of education quality alongside its work on finance and safeguarding
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff keeping a keen eye on pupil welfare and the school creating a positive culture around safety.
Extracurricular Activities
Fundraising activities, leadership roles for pupils
Potton Primary School is a happy and friendly place where pupils enjoy learning and behave well. The school has successfully navigated becoming a primary school and now provides good quality education across all areas.
At a Glance
20.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
80 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 61% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 69% to 62% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.5
Avg class size
27.8
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Potton Primary School
From Potton Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Potton Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Potton Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Potton 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
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 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 Potton Primary School
Will you get a place at Potton Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Potton Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Potton Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Potton 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 Potton 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
93%
Near capacity
392 pupils
420 places
28 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sandy
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sandy
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
74
SEN Support
20
EHC Plans
24.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
387
Total Pupils
207
Boys
180
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,879
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,091
Per pupil
£2217k
Total funding
£103k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
16.3%
Persistent absence
343
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Potton Primary School
What are SATs results like at Potton Primary School?
Of the pupils at Potton Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% reached the expected standard in reading and 61% did so in maths.
What is Potton Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Potton Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2010, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Potton Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Potton 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 Potton Primary School?
Potton Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Potton Primary School?
Classes at Potton Primary School average 27.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Potton Primary School?
Potton Primary School has around 387 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Potton Primary School?
6.1% of sessions were missed at Potton Primary School in 2024/25. 16.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Potton Primary School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Potton 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 Potton Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Potton Primary School?
Potton Primary School is at Mill Lane, Potton, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2PG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)