St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School
Primary · Academy converter · Ages 3–11 · 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 🔒
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School is a primary school in Bedford for ages 3–11 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 17 October 2023. Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2025 to 2026 entry.
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-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
- Every applicant was offered a Reception place in 2026, as was the case at 43 of the 53 other Bedford primary schools with a published Reception 2026 outcome.
- In the 2026 Reception entry there were 20 first-choice applications for 21 offers; every first-choice family was offered a place, and 1 offer went to a family who ranked it second or lower.
- In 2024/25, 44% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), the lowest 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
- Biddenham Turn, Bedford, MK40 4AT
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3–11
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 271 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 32.1% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 23.2
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 17 October 2023
Strengths
- “Pupils at St Joseph’s and St Gregory’s like coming to school.”
- “They feel part of the school’s caring community.”
- “Following a recent reorganisation of all pupils into one building, older and younger pupils welcome the opportunity to mix together.”
To improve
- “In a few subjects, the school has not provided the specific guidance teachers need to ensure that pupils retain and build complex knowledge over time.”
- “This means that, in these subjects, pupils do not gain and remember important knowledge as quickly as they should.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 16 November 2023 (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) | 44% | 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: 20 first-preference applications, 21 offers in total, 20 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.
- Westfield Primary School 0.3 mi Good Last distance published
- Queen's Park Academy 0.3 mi Good Last distance published
- Great Ouse Primary Academy 0.4 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- St James' CofE Academy 0.6 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Great Denham Primary School 0.8 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Priory Primary School 0.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Livingstone Primary School 0.8 mi Good Last distance published
- Edith Cavell Primary School 0.9 mi School remains Good Last distance published