Ursula Taylor Church of England School, Bedford

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.0km)Possible (~1.5km)Unlikely (~1.9km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Ms Katherine Hall
Pupils:350 / 420 capacity
LA:Bedford
Phone:01234359128
Address:High Street, Clapham, Bedford, MK41 6EG
Trust:DIOCESE OF ST ALBANS MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 August 2013

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Outstanding

Quality of Education

Outstanding

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Outstanding

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Early Years

Inspected 29 April 2025View full report
URN:139990
UKPRN:10042419
Diocese:Diocese of St Albans
Constituency:North Bedfordshire
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school truly excels in helping children love learning and feel secure and happy. Teachers are highly skilled and set ambitious expectations that help every child achieve, including those with additional needs. The school enriches the curriculum with exciting experiences like planting potatoes in Reception and harvesting them in autumn, plus opportunities for children to see themselves as sportspeople, writers, performers and musicians.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve exceptionally well with high-quality work and excellent progress in reading and across all subjects
  • Teachers are experts who explain things clearly and set consistently high expectations
  • Ambitious curriculum goes significantly beyond the typical, including learning five musical instruments and enrichment through trips, experiences and visitors
  • Exemplary behaviour and a calm, purposeful atmosphere with pupils who are focused, engaged and independent learners
  • Outstanding support for pupils with SEND, who access the same curriculum and achieve exceptionally well

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Learning five musical instruments, artwork exhibitions in local art galleries and supermarkets, trips and experiences, reading to younger year groups

Ursula Taylor Church of England School is an outstanding primary school where pupils flourish and progress exceptionally well from their starting points. The school provides an ambitious curriculum with high expectations across all subjects.

At a Glance

22.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

88 responses
Would recommend91%
Child is happy92%
Well taught90%
Good progress86%
Feels safe94%
Well behaved90%
Bullying dealt with19%
Kept informed96%
Handles concerns58%
Wider development84%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-25ppMaths-14ppWriting-30pp

Reading has declined from 88% to 63%. Maths has declined from 73% to 59%. Writing has declined from 73% to 43%.

Class Sizes

26.3

Avg class size

23.5

Infant (KS1)

27.6

KS2

12

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Ursula Taylor School (Outside)
86m · 1 min walk
Church View (opp)
164m · 3 min walk
Highbury Grove (opp)
241m · 4 min walk
The Slade (opp)
321m · 5 min walk
Peppercorn Park (Opposite)
550m · 9 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

83%

Available places

350 pupils

420 capacity

70 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bedford

Medium pressure
New homes approved:9,345
Projected new pupils:2,336

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bedford

Admissions Demand - Bedford

Low demand0.78x oversubscription

Places available

2,690

Applications

2,103

Got 1st preference

93.6%

Got preferred school

99.3%

Primary admissions across Bedford (2025/26)

Inspection History(4)

29 April 2025
Quality of EducationOutstanding
Behaviour & AttitudesOutstanding
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding
Early YearsOutstanding
29 October 2019
9 February 2016

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.42963%

Overall absence

19.54023%

Persistent absence

348

Enrolments

Authorised4.45267%
Unauthorised0.97696%
Persistent (10%+)19.54023%
Severe (50%+)0.57471%

Absence trend

3.17921%
18/19
2.15999%
20/21
4.2582%
21/22
5.69622%
22/23
5.34503%
23/24
5.42963%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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