School profile

Great Denham Primary School

Primary · Foundation school · Bedford, MK40 4GG

Outstanding

Map showing Great Denham Primary School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#4,450 of 15,057

Better than 70% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Great Denham Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 22 May 2024

Ofsted rating
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeFoundation school
Ages3 to 11
Pupils677
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Denise Burgess
TrustThe Biddenham Campus Trust
Local authorityBedford
Opened01 Sept 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 135996.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolBedfordEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%, better than England, better than Bedford57%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.7%, similar to England, better than Bedford3%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Bedford105106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.104, similar to England, similar to Bedford103105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, similar to Bedford104105
Expected standard in reading80%, better than England, better than Bedford74%76%
Expected standard in writing79%, better than England, better than Bedford69%73%
Expected standard in maths84%, better than England, better than Bedford70%75%
Pupils taking tests85--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils677
Girls337
Boys340
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.12.9%
First language not English18.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.630
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.640
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.85
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.39
Average class size30.7

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
54.7%
Other White
7.1%
Other mixed
6.9%
Indian
5%
Other Asian
3.8%
African
3.5%
White and Black Caribbean
3.4%
Pakistani
2.8%
Other Black
2.8%
White and Black African
2.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher24.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.5
Teachers (FTE)27.5
Teaching assistants (FTE)30.29
Support staff (FTE)47.06
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2530.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2526.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.89
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.236
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.115
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.89
Applications from another local authority (Reception)8

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolBedfordEngland
Overall absence4.2%, better than England, better than Bedford4.8%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.9%, better than England, better than Bedford12.2%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.5%, better than England, similar to Bedford0.9%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate1.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.7%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Great Denham Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.5 miPrimarySt James' CofE AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miSecondaryBiddenham International School and Sports CollegeFoundation school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryWestfield Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.8 miPrimarySt Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryQueen's Park AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryBedford Road Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
1.1 miPrimaryGreat Ouse Primary AcademyFree schools
Good
1.1 miPrimaryKempston Rural Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.3 miPrimaryCamestone SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.3 miPrimaryBalliol Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Great Denham Primary School

What is Great Denham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Great Denham Primary School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 22 May 2024.

How does Great Denham Primary School rank in England?

Great Denham Primary School ranks 4,450 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 70% of schools).

What are Great Denham Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 72% of pupils at Great Denham Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Great Denham Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Great Denham Primary School made 89 offers from 236 applications (2.7 per offer), and 89 of 115 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Great Denham Primary School?

Great Denham Primary School has 677 pupils aged 3 to 11.

What is the capacity of Great Denham Primary School?

Great Denham Primary School had 630 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Great Denham Primary School?

At Great Denham Primary School, the average class had 30.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 24.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Great Denham Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Great Denham Primary School missed 4.2% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 9% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.