St James' CofE Academy
Main Road, Bedford, MK40 4BD
194 pupils · 92% of 210 capacity
- Phase
- Primary
- Type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF ST ALBANS MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
- Local authority
- Bedford
- Free school meals
- 18%
Ofsted
Standards maintained (2025) — Ungraded inspection — “Standards maintained” (no overall grade issued)
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 5 February 2025, published 23 March 2025. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 54% |
| Reaching the higher standard | 11% |
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.93 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 30 | 28 | 124 | 30 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 30 | 24 | 80 | 30 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 30 | 32 | 94 | 30 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 29 | 23 | 91 | 29 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Great Denham Primary School 0.8 km · Outstanding (2024) · previous system
- St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School 0.9 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- Westfield Primary School 1.1 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Queen's Park Academy 1.2 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Great Ouse Primary Academy 1.3 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Bromham CofE Primary School 2.1 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.