Willow Grove Primary School
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
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 57 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 27 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 48 | 24 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces 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
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 8.0 | 10.5 |
| 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:
- Fulbrook School Milton Keynes
- Monkston Primary School Milton Keynes
- Kents Hill Park all-through school Milton Keynes
- Oakgrove School Milton Keynes
- Middleton Primary School Milton Keynes
- Hockliffe Lower School Leighton Buzzard
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.