Edith Cavell Primary School

Edith Cavell Primary School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. Pupils are happy, engaged, and making steady progress, particularly in core subjects like English and mathematics. There is a strong emphasis on meeting the diverse needs of all students, including those who are new to English and those with special educational needs. The curriculum is broad and enhanced by various extracurricular activities, fostering a positive learning environment. Parents express satisfaction with the school's efforts in education and community engagement. However, there are areas for improvement. Some pupils do not always receive work that challenges them adequately, leading to missed opportunities for deeper learning. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in the teaching of writing skills and in the participation of students with SEND in extracurricular activities. The school aims to enhance its offerings and support to ensure that all pupils can maximize their potential and fully benefit from what is available.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate high levels of confidence in learning and performances.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Strong emphasis on safeguarding and creating a safe learning environment.
• High priority given to reading with well-structured phonics sessions.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils, fostering a supportive atmosphere.
• Engaged parents who appreciate the school's community efforts.
• Variety of extracurricular opportunities available to pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff do not consistently provide suitably demanding work for all pupils.
• Inconsistent teaching of writing skills affecting pupil fluency and presentation.
• Fewer pupils with SEND participate in extracurricular clubs.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Edith Cavell Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.0% of pupils at Edith Cavell Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Edith Cavell Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 19.9% of pupils at Edith Cavell Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Edith Cavell Primary School received £7,915 and spent £7,968 for each of its 271 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £23,000 (£85 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bedford · Bedford local authority: places and applications

Edith Cavell Primary School is part of The Leap Community Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Livingstone Primary School Bedford
• Priory Primary School Bedford

What is Edith Cavell Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Edith Cavell Primary School is Good, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was Edith Cavell Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Edith Cavell Primary School was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does Edith Cavell Primary School have?

Edith Cavell Primary School has 292 pupils on roll.

What age range does Edith Cavell Primary School cover?

Edith Cavell Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Edith Cavell Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Edith Cavell Primary School?

Edith Cavell Primary School is at Manton Lane, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 7NH.