Balliol Primary 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 🔒
Balliol Primary School is a primary school in Bedford for ages 2–11 (community school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 12 July 2022. Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2025 to 2026 entry.
Balliol Primary 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 2024/25, 39% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), and 0% reached the higher standard (England 8%).
- The 2024/25 figure of 39% was the lowest of 8 schools: this one and the 7 of the 8 nearest primary schools in Bedford that have results.
- For Reception 2026 there were 23 first-choice applications for 24 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and every applicant was offered a place.
- Of pupils here, 30.4% are entitled to free school meals, against a middle figure of 20.8% across the 8 nearest primary schools in Bedford.
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
- Balliol Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 7ER
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 2–11
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 355 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 30.4% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 19.7
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 12 July 2022
Strengths
- “Pupils at Balliol Primary School are friendly and kind.”
- “They show their good manners right from the start of the day as they politely help themselves to the bagels leaders serve at the gate.”
- “Pupils recall much of what they learn.”
To improve
- “However, some of these pupils read very slowly.”
- “It makes it hard for them to understand what they read.”
- “Some staff providing support do not know strategies that will help the pupils to read more fluently.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 28 September 2022 (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) | 39% | 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: 23 first-preference applications, 24 offers in total, 23 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.
- Bedford Road Primary Academy 0.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Kempston Rural Primary School 0.6 mi Good Last distance published
- Springfield Primary School 0.7 mi Good Last distance published
- Camestone School 0.9 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Great Denham Primary School 1.3 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Wootton Primary School 1.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Cauldwell School 1.6 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Westfield Primary School 1.6 mi Good Last distance published