School admissions in Bedford

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 28 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.

Bedford in figures

For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 66 schools in Bedford first 2,331 times for 2,328 places: 1.00 first choices per place. 11 of the 66 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 8 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.32 miles (Livingstone Primary School) to 2.21 miles (Haynes Lower School).

For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 12 schools in Bedford first 2,173 times for 2,137 places: 1.02 first choices per place. 3 of the 12 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 2 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.60 miles (Bedford Free School) to 0.75 miles (Goldington Academy).

Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.

Reception places, September 2026

66 schools. 11 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
Priory Primary SchoolBedford	1.57	28	not published
Lidlington Primary SchoolBedford	1.53	15	not published
Haynes Lower SchoolBedford	1.50	24	3551.8 m (≈2.21 mi) 2026
Gravenhurst AcademyBedford	1.33	15	4921.27 m (≈3.06 mi) 2025
Great Denham Primary SchoolBedford	1.29	89	1367.52 m (≈0.85 mi) 2026
Hazeldene SchoolBedford	1.25	60	1415.64 m (≈0.88 mi) 2026
The Hills AcademyBedford	1.22	59	1342.74 m (≈0.83 mi) 2026
Livingstone Primary SchoolBedford	1.17	59	511.5 m (≈0.32 mi) 2026
Cauldwell SchoolBedford	1.15	59	not published
Kymbrook Primary SchoolBedford	1.14	7	not published
Great Ouse Primary AcademyBedford	1.05	60	1922.53 m (≈1.19 mi) 2026
Bedford Road Primary AcademyBedford	1.00	41	not published
Carlton CofE Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	6	not published
Flitwick Lower SchoolBedford	1.00	56	not published
Harrold Primary AcademyBedford	1.00	9	not published
Kingsmoor Lower SchoolBedford	1.00	20	not published
Maulden Lower SchoolBedford	1.00	23	not published
Milton Ernest CofE Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	5	not published
Moggerhanger Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	20	3327.85 m (≈2.07 mi) 2026
Oakley Primary AcademyBedford	1.00	19	not published
Pinchmill Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	6	not published
Ravensden CofE Primary AcademyBedford	1.00	7	not published
Riseley CofE Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	10	not published
Sharnbrook PrimaryBedford	1.00	16	not published
Sheerhatch Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	15	not published
Shortstown Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	56	not published
Silsoe CofE VC Lower SchoolBedford	1.00	29	not published
Templefield Lower SchoolBedford	1.00	37	not published
Thurleigh Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	4	not published
Turvey Primary SchoolBedford	1.00	9	not published
King's Oak Primary SchoolBedford	0.99	75	not published
Ramsey Manor Lower SchoolBedford	0.98	54	not published
Putnoe Primary SchoolBedford	0.98	52	not published
Ursula Taylor Church of England SchoolBedford	0.98	42	not published
Springfield Primary SchoolBedford	0.97	38	not published
Goldington Green AcademyBedford	0.96	54	not published
Wootton Primary SchoolBedford	0.96	99	not published
Broadmead Lower SchoolBedford	0.96	49	not published
Balliol Primary SchoolBedford	0.96	24	not published
Cranfield Church of England AcademyBedford	0.95	86	2083.14 m (≈1.29 mi) 2022
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-SchoolBedford	0.95	21	not published
Wixams Tree Primary AcademyBedford	0.95	55	not published
Lakeview SchoolBedford	0.94	53	not published
Cotton End Forest SchoolBedford	0.94	51	not published
John Donne Church of England Primary SchoolBedford	0.93	15	not published
St James' CofE AcademyBedford	0.93	30	2129.26 m (≈1.32 mi) 2026
Brickhill Primary SchoolBedford	0.93	29	not published
Elstow SchoolBedford	0.93	42	not published
Great Barford Church of England Primary AcademyBedford	0.92	12	not published
Wilden CofE VA Primary SchoolBedford	0.92	12	not published
Houghton Conquest Primary SchoolBedford	0.91	23	not published
Westfield Primary SchoolBedford	0.91	46	not published
Edith Cavell Primary SchoolBedford	0.91	33	not published
Shackleton Primary SchoolBedford	0.90	58	not published
The Firs Lower SchoolBedford	0.90	48	4979.28 m (≈3.09 mi) 2025
Renhold VC Primary SchoolBedford	0.89	19	not published
Scott Primary School & NurseryBedford	0.89	55	not published
Roxton Church of England AcademyBedford	0.89	9	not published
St John Rigby Catholic Primary SchoolBedford	0.89	18	not published
Camestone SchoolBedford	0.87	53	not published
Queen's Park AcademyBedford	0.85	46	not published
Westoning Lower SchoolBedford	0.85	13	not published
Bromham CofE Primary SchoolBedford	0.84	58	not published
Castle Newnham SchoolBedford	0.78	88	not published
Newton Blossomville Church of England SchoolBedford	0.67	3	not published
Ridgmont Lower SchoolBedford	0.50	2	not published

First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.

Year 7 places, September 2026

12 schools. 3 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
Bedford Free SchoolBedford	1.54	109	965.66 m (≈0.60 mi) 2026
Goldington AcademyBedford	1.49	182	1202.29 m (≈0.75 mi) 2026
Biddenham International School and Sports CollegeBedford	1.06	252	not published
Bedford AcademyBedford	0.97	293	not published
Sharnbrook AcademyBedford	0.96	246	not published
Wootton AcademyBedford	0.96	201	not published
Lincroft AcademyBedford	0.94	164	not published
Wixams AcademyBedford	0.92	167	not published
Kempston AcademyBedford	0.89	118	not published
Daubeney AcademyBedford	0.86	111	not published
St Thomas More Catholic SchoolBedford	0.85	108	not published
Mark Rutherford SchoolBedford	0.83	186	not published