School profile

Elstow School

Primary · Academy converter · Bedford, MK42 9GP

Good

Map showing Elstow School

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

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#3,730 of 15,057

Better than 75% of schools in England

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

Elstow School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 2 Nov 2016

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages4 to 11
Pupils413
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Sarah Ciantar
TrustADVANTAGE SCHOOLS
Local authorityBedford
Opened01 Apr 2017
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 144039.

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 maths74%, 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.5%, worse than England, similar to Bedford3%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.107, similar to England, better than Bedford105106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, better than Bedford103105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.108, better than England, better than Bedford104105
Expected standard in reading87%, better than England, better than Bedford74%76%
Expected standard in writing80%, better than England, better than Bedford69%73%
Expected standard in maths82%, better than England, better than Bedford70%75%
Pupils taking tests61--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils413
Girls202
Boys211
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.21.1%
First language not English22.3%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.1.7%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.64
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.8
Average class size29.6

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
41.4%
Other White
11.4%
Indian
10.7%
Other Asian
5.8%
White and Black Caribbean
4.8%
White and Asian
4.4%
Pakistani
4.4%
Other mixed
3.6%
African
3.4%
Bangladeshi
3.1%

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 teacher22
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.9
Teachers (FTE)18.8
Teaching assistants (FTE)13.13
Support staff (FTE)21.22
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2516.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2516.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

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.42
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.89
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.39
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.39
Applications from another local authority (Reception)2

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 absence4.5%, better than England, similar to Bedford4.8%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.13.7%, similar to England, similar to Bedford12.2%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.8%, similar to 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 rate1.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.4%
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 Elstow School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.6 miSecondaryBedford AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimaryShackleton Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.8 miNurseryCherry Trees Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
0.9 miPrimaryKing's Oak Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miSecondaryDaubeney AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miPrimarySpringfield Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryCamestone SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryCauldwell SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miNurseryPeter Pan Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Outstanding
1.4 miSecondaryBedford Free SchoolFree schools
Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about Elstow School

What is Elstow School's Ofsted rating?

Elstow School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 2 Nov 2016.

How does Elstow School rank in England?

Elstow School ranks 3,730 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 75% of schools).

What are Elstow School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 74% of pupils at Elstow School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Elstow School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Elstow School made 42 offers from 89 applications (2.1 per offer), and 39 of 39 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Elstow School?

Elstow School has 413 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Elstow School?

Elstow School had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Elstow School?

At Elstow School, the average class had 29.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 22 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Elstow School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Elstow School missed 4.5% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 13.7% 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.