Carlton CofE Primary School
About Carlton CofE Primary School
Carlton CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in Bedford, one of 54 state primary schools in the local authority. It currently ranks 24th out of 46 schools in Bedford on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it just inside the bottom half of the LA table. The top-performing peers in the area — Thurleigh Primary School, Sharnbrook Primary and Harrold Primary Academy — all sit higher up the rankings, but Carlton holds a solid Ofsted Good rating from its most recent inspection in November 2024, a step down from the Outstanding it received in 2013. The school has capacity for 120 pupils but currently enrols just 95, so there is some room. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, with 12 applications for 7 places and all first-preference families receiving an offer. Headteacher Jo Bevis leads a mixed-gender, state-funded primary that also offers nursery provision for children from age 2.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 41 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
12 Nov 2024From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 12 Jan 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:30
Breakfast club
08:00-08:45
After-school care
15:30-18:00
Source: carltoncofeprimary.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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