Secondary applications close 31 October – compare your shortlist now

Willow Grove Primary School

Primary Ages 4-11 104 pupils Wixams
All schools in Bedford

Willow Grove Primary School is a free schools in Bedford for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has 104 pupils on roll. About 93% of its places were empty in 2024/25, far more than at most primary schools, so a place should be easier to come by.

Type Primary / Free schools
Age Range 4-11
Religion Unknown
Address Fisherswood Road
Wixams
Bedfordshire
MK45 3TE
Phone 07342170222
Reference Number 150796

General Makeup

Number of pupils 104
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 43.27%
Girls: 56.73%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 13.5%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 20.2%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 26
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 26.3
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 25

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 12 18 30
2 9 10 19
3 8 17 25
4 Unknown Unknown Unknown
5 Unknown Unknown Unknown
6 Unknown Unknown Unknown

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 50%
African 10.6%
Indian 8.7%
Mixed, Other 7.7%
White, Other 4.8%
White & Black (Caribbean) 3.8%
Caribbean 3.8%
White & Black (African) 1.9%
White & Asian 1%
Unclassified 1%
Asian, Other 1%

Overall Ofsted Rating
Last Report Date This school has not had an inspection yet.
Date Report

Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 57 0
Third Preference 27 0
From another Local Authority 48 24

Previous years

Sample

Unlock

Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Willow Grove Primary School had 57 pupils for 840 places. 783 places (93.2%) were unfilled.

Reception intake in the “Wixams Primary” planning area

Bedford counted 161 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 164 in 2029–30, up 2%.

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 Willow Grove Primary School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

2025
Authorised absence 2.6%
Unauthorised absence 1.0%
Severely absent pupils 0.0%

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, 9.4% of pupils at Willow Grove Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 28.3
Permanent exclusions 0

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 Willow Grove Primary School had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

20252026
Pupils per adult 8.010.5
Teachers who left state teaching 0.0%–
Teachers who took any sick leave ––
Sick days per teacher ––

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, 21.2% of pupils at Willow Grove Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Autistic spectrum disorder 7 1
Moderate learning difficulty 6 1
Social, emotional and mental health 4 1
Specific learning difficulty 3 0
Speech, language and communication needs 2 0

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 Willow Grove Primary School received £14,659 and spent £13,829 for each of its 53 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £28,000 (£531 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Kingsbridge Educational Trust, income was £7,086 and spending £7,114 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2025
Revenue reserve £28,000
per pupil £531
In-year balance £44,000
per pupil £830

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.

Name Distance
Wixams Tree Primary Academy
Green Lane, Wixams, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 6BA
0.44 miles
Lakeview School
School Lane, Off Brooklands Avenue, Wixams, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 6BH
0.85 miles
Wilstead Primary School
Cotton End Road, Wilstead, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 3BX
1.35 miles
Houghton Conquest Primary School
High Street, Houghton Conquest, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 3LL
1.67 miles
Broadmead Lower School
Park Crescent, Stewartby, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 9NN
1.7 miles
Springfield Primary School
Orchard Street, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7LJ
1.84 miles
Elstow School
Abbey Fields, Elstow, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9GP
1.87 miles
Marston Vale Middle School
The Crescent, Stewartby, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 9NH
1.93 miles
Balliol Primary School
Balliol Road, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7ER
2.08 miles
Camestone School
Jowitt Avenue, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 8NW
2.18 miles
Wootton Primary School
Bedford Road, Wootton, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 9JT
2.28 miles
Bedford Road Primary Academy
Hillgrounds Road, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 8QH
2.37 miles
Cotton End Forest School
High Road, Cotton End, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 3AG
2.55 miles
Shortstown Primary School
Beauvais Square, Shortstown, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 0GS
2.61 miles
Kempston Rural Primary School
Martell Drive, Kempston, Bedfordshire, MK42 7FJ
2.61 miles
Cherry Trees Nursery School
Hawkins Road, Bedford, MK42 9LS
2.66 miles
Shackleton Primary School
Pearcey Road, Shackleton Primary School, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9LZ
2.67 miles
King's Oak Primary School
Oak Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 0HH
2.71 miles
Cauldwell School
Edward Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9DR
2.72 miles
Peter Pan Nursery School
Edward Road, Bedford, MK42 9DR
2.74 miles
Name Distance
Wixams Academy
Green Lane, Wixams, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 6BA
0.37 miles
Daubeney Academy
Orchard Street, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7PS
1.9 miles
Ridgeway School
Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7EB
2.08 miles
Kempston Academy
Hill Rise, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7EB
2.09 miles
Kimberley 16 - 19 Stem College
Green Lane, Stewartby, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 9LY
2.24 miles
Bedford Academy
Mile Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9TR
2.44 miles
Rivertree Free School
Hillgrounds Road, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 8QP
2.48 miles
Grange Academy
Halsey Road, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 8AU
2.55 miles
St John's School
Austin Canons, Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 8AA
2.75 miles
Wootton Academy
Hall End Road, Wootton, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 9HT
2.76 miles
Bedford Free School
Cauldwell Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9AD
3.19 miles
Bedford Girls' School
Cardington Road, Bedford, MK42 0BX
3.24 miles
Bedford College
Cauldwell Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 9AH
3.24 miles
Biddenham International School and Sports College
Biddenham Turn, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 4AZ
3.55 miles
Castle Newnham School
Goldington Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 3EP
3.8 miles
KWS School
51 Brunel Road, Bedford, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 9TJ
3.8 miles
Bedford School
De Parys Avenue, Bedford, MK40 2TU
3.83 miles
Goldington Academy
Haylands Way, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 9BX
4.23 miles
Bedford Modern School
Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7NT
4.24 miles
Bedford Greenacre Independent School
Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7FZ
4.69 miles

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

Willow Grove Primary School is part of Kingsbridge Educational Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

How many pupils does Willow Grove Primary School have?

Willow Grove Primary School has 104 pupils on roll.

What age range does Willow Grove Primary School cover?

Willow Grove Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Willow Grove Primary School?

Willow Grove Primary School is at Fisherswood Road, Wixams, Bedfordshire, MK45 3TE.

Filters

Basics

Age Range

Special Schools

Independent Schools

Faith Schools

Key Stage 2 Attainment

Students Meeting expected standard

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

Students Meeting higher standard

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

GCSE Attainment

Attainment 8 score percentile

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99

Students getting 5 or more GCSE's at grade 9-4 (A-C)

Unlock Premium to filter by results - £9.99 one-off, lifetime access.

Unlock for £9.99