Ursula Taylor Church of England School

Ursula Taylor Church of England School is a highly effective primary school where pupils flourish and achieve exceptionally well from their starting points. Inspectors judged every area of provision to be outstanding, and the report highlights exemplary behaviour, a calm and purposeful learning environment, and a strong culture of care, safety and mutual respect. Pupils love coming to school, attend very regularly, and benefit from high expectations, expert teaching and a well-designed curriculum that goes well beyond the typical, including rich experiences in music and the early years. The school’s curriculum is ambitious and consistently well delivered. Reading and phonics are central, and pupils become confident, enthusiastic readers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported with high expectations and appropriate adaptations, enabling them to access the same curriculum as their peers and achieve exceptionally well. Personal development is exceptionally strong, with trips, visitors, performances and wider opportunities helping pupils see themselves as sportspersons, writers, performers and musicians. Staff, trustees and governors work effectively together, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a Church of England primary academy converter within the Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust. The report identifies no notable weaknesses or areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve exceptionally well and make strong progress from their starting points.
• Behaviour is exemplary, with pupils showing care, respect and independence.
• The curriculum is ambitious and goes significantly beyond the typical.
• Teaching is expert, expectations are high and feedback helps pupils deepen learning.
• Reading and phonics are taught very effectively, and pupils develop a love of reading.
• Early years provision is exceptionally well thought out, with skilled staff and a rich learning environment.
• Pupils with SEND are supported effectively and achieve exceptionally well.
• Personal development is exceptionally strong, enriched by trips, experiences and visitors.
• Attendance is strong and persistent absence is rare.
• Leadership, governance and trust support are effective and focused on pupils’ best interests.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Ursula Taylor Church of England School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.5% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Ursula Taylor Church of England 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 Ursula Taylor Church of England School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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, 12.6% of pupils at Ursula Taylor Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 2024–25 Ursula Taylor Church of England School received £6,562 and spent £5,984 for each of its 361 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £150,000 (£416 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,648 and spending £7,542 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Ursula Taylor Church of England School is part of Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• St James' CofE Academy Bedford
• Ravensden CofE Primary Academy Bedford
• Great Barford Church of England Primary Academy Bedford
• Roxton Church of England Academy Bedford
• Northill CofE Academy Biggleswade
• Caldecote Church of England Academy Biggleswade
• St Leonards CE Academy Leighton Buzzard
• Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy Dunstable
• Wenlock CofE Academy Luton
• Totternhoe Church of England Academy Dunstable

What is Ursula Taylor Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ursula Taylor Church of England School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Ursula Taylor Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ursula Taylor Church of England School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Ursula Taylor Church of England School have?

Ursula Taylor Church of England School has 350 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ursula Taylor Church of England School cover?

Ursula Taylor Church of England School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Ursula Taylor Church of England School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 35% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ursula Taylor Church of England School?

Ursula Taylor Church of England School is at High Street, Clapham, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 6EG.