Cotton End Forest School
Primary · Community school · Ages 2–11 · Bedford
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Bedford Borough Council · offers on 16 April 2026
2025 figure 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Cotton End Forest School is a primary school in Bedford for ages 2–11 (community school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 20 May 2025. Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2025 to 2026 entry.
Cotton End Forest School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Reception 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Reception 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In 2026 Reception had 48 first-choice applications for 51 offers: 47 offers went to first-choice families, and 1 first-choice family (2%) was not offered a place.
- In 2024/25, 77% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%).
- That 2024/25 reading, writing and maths result was the highest of 6 schools: this one and the 5 of the 8 nearest primary schools in Bedford that have results.
- The school has 22.9 pupils per teacher; the middle figure across the 8 nearest primary schools in Bedford is 20.6.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Bedford schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- High Road, Cotton End, Bedford, MK45 3AG
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2–11
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 435 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 17.7% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 22.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 20 May 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils prize the special outdoor ethos of Cotton End Forest School and happily attend.”
- “They understand how to be kind, polite citizens.”
- “They get on well with each other and staff.”
To improve
- “However, the school does not provide clear enough guidance to teachers about how to check pupils’ understanding in lessons.”
- “This means that, occasionally, pupils do not receive the prompt feedback they need to securely build their knowledge and understanding.”
- “However, in early writing, the school’s expectations are unclear and lack sufficient ambition.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 30 June 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| Key stage 2 · reading, writing and maths, expected standard (2024/25) | 77% | 62% |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Reception entry: 48 first-preference applications, 51 offers in total, 47 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby primary schools
Straight-line distance, in Bedford.
- Shortstown Primary School 1.2 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Wilstead Primary School 1.6 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Lakeview School 1.7 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Wixams Tree Primary Academy 2.1 mi Good Last distance published
- Elstow School 2.3 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- King's Oak Primary School 2.3 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Sheerhatch Primary School 2.3 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Willow Grove Primary School 2.6 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published