Shackleton Primary School
Primary · Academy converter · Ages 4–11 · 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 🔒
Shackleton Primary School is a primary school in Bedford for ages 4–11 (academy converter). Bedford has published a last distance offered for this school for Reception 2025 to 2026 entry.
Shackleton 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
- Every applicant to Reception in 2026 was offered a place, as at 43 of the 53 other Bedford primary schools with a published Reception 2026 outcome.
- In Reception 2025, the earlier year with a published outcome, places ran out and a last distance was published.
- 2026 Reception entry brought 52 first-choice applications for 58 offers: 0.9 first choices per offer, the 8th lowest of 51 Bedford primary schools; every first-choice family was offered a place.
- In 2024/25, 54% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%); 0% reached the higher standard (England 8%).
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
- Pearcey Road, Shackleton Primary School, Bedford, MK42 9LZ
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4–11
- Council
- Bedford
- Pupils on roll
- 487 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 34.1% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 25.4
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
No Ofsted grade Inspected 27 January 2026
Strengths
- “Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school.”
- “They feel valued and part of the community.”
- “They settle quickly because adults support them to develop important skills from the earliest stages.”
To improve
- “However, pupils' achievement in these subjects does not meet national expectations.”
- “In addition, pupils do not consistently remember and apply their learning across the wider curriculum.”
- “Consequently, some pupils do not build knowledge securely or leave the school as well prepared as they should be for the next stage of their education.”
Safeguarding: met
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 13 March 2026 (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) | 54% | 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: 52 first-preference applications, 58 offers in total, 52 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.
- King's Oak Primary School 0.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Cauldwell School 0.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Elstow School 0.8 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Camestone School 1.1 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Priory Primary School 1.1 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Springfield Primary School 1.3 mi Good Last distance published
- Queen's Park Academy 1.4 mi Good Last distance published
- Livingstone Primary School 1.5 mi Good Last distance published