The Hills Academy
Primary · Academy converter · Ages 3–11 · Bedford
Last distance offered · Reception 2026
0.83 miles
Published by Bedford Borough Council · offers on 16 April 2026
2025 figure 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
The Hills Academy is a primary school in Bedford for ages 3–11 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 12 March 2025. Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2025 to 2026 entry.
The Hills Academy 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 | 0.83 mi |
| Reception 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- For Reception 2026, the last child offered a place lived 0.83 miles away, the 4th shortest of 10 Bedford primary schools with a published last distance.
- The Reception last distance for 2026 was nearer the school than in 2025.
- Reception 2026 had 72 first-choice applications for 59 offers; 59 offers went to first-choice families and 13 first-choice families were not offered a place.
- 2024/25: 63% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), 2nd highest of 9 schools: this one and 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
- Stancliffe Road, Bedford, MK41 9AT
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3–11
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 442 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 9.5% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 19.7
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 12 March 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils become confident and independent individuals in this welcoming and inclusive school.”
- “They develop positive attitudes to learning and understand the importance of learning from mistakes.”
- “This builds their resilience and motivates them to persist when they find things tricky.”
To improve
- “In key stage 1, some pupils receive extra help with their writing because they have not been able to keep up with the intended curriculum and are not yet forming letters consistently well.”
- “This hinders their writing fluency and readiness for the next stage of learning.”
- “While some children make controlled marks and persevere in their writing, they use an incorrect pencil grip.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 29 April 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) | 63% | 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: 72 first-preference applications, 59 offers in total, 59 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.
- Hazeldene School 0.0 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- St John Rigby Catholic Primary School 0.4 mi Good Last distance published
- Brickhill Primary School 0.6 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Putnoe Primary School 0.7 mi Good Last distance published
- Goldington Green Academy 0.9 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Scott Primary School & Nursery 1.0 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Edith Cavell Primary School 1.4 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Livingstone Primary School 1.4 mi Good Last distance published