Wixams Tree Primary Academy

Wixams Tree Primary has made notable progress since its previous inspection and is currently performing well across various areas, achieving a 'Good' rating overall. The school is described as happy and nurturing, with high expectations for pupil achievement and a strong emphasis on respect and kindness among students. It benefits from the support of the Knowledge Schools Trust and has implemented an ambitious curriculum with particular strengths in English and mathematics. However, while the school has made strides in its educational offerings, there are still some areas that require improvement to enhance the overall learning experience for pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy their learning and feel safe at school.
• High expectations for pupil achievement are set by adults.
• The curriculum is exciting and ambitious, particularly in English and mathematics.
• Teachers support pupils with SEND effectively to meet their individual targets.
• Pupils exhibit positive behaviors and harmonious relationships.
• Early years provision engages children in phonics learning enthusiastically.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not always adapt tasks to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Limited availability of after-school clubs and leadership opportunities.
• Inconsistent communication with parents regarding children’s learning.

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 Wixams Tree Primary Academy attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.0% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Wixams Tree Primary Academy 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 Wixams Tree Primary Academy had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.5% 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, 12.7% of pupils at Wixams Tree Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 Wixams Tree Primary Academy received £6,816 and spent £6,221 for each of its 526 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,178,000 (£2,240 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Knowledge Schools Trust, income was £8,428 and spending £8,410 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

Wixams Tree Primary Academy is part of Knowledge Schools Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Wixams Academy Bedford
• Bedford Road Primary Academy Bedford
• Dovery Academy Leighton Buzzard
• Edlesborough Primary Academy Dunstable
• Earl's Court Free School Primary London
• West London Free School Primary London
• West London Free School London
• Kensington Primary Academy London

What is Wixams Tree Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wixams Tree Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Wixams Tree Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Wixams Tree Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Wixams Tree Primary Academy have?

Wixams Tree Primary Academy has 559 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wixams Tree Primary Academy cover?

Wixams Tree Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Wixams Tree Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wixams Tree Primary Academy?

Wixams Tree Primary Academy is at Green Lane, Wixams, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 6BA.