The Duke of Bedford Primary School

About The Duke of Bedford Primary School

The Duke of Bedford Primary School is a state primary in Peterborough, sitting 10th out of 53 primary schools in the local authority. That puts it comfortably in the top fifth of schools in the area, with a ranking score of 72 based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. The top three performing primaries in Peterborough are Barnack CofE (Controlled) Primary School, Winyates Primary School (Spirit Federation) and St John's Church School (Spirit Federation), all of which score in the 90s. Duke of Bedford is a mixed, non-religious school for children aged 4 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has 221 pupils on roll, slightly above its official capacity of 210, and 26.8 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals. The school is led by headteacher Rebecca Hales and was rated Good in its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, a rating it has held consistently across its previous inspections.

In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72 per cent of pupils at Duke of Bedford reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is well above the Peterborough local authority average of 59 per cent, and the school ranks in the top 50 nationally for this metric. In reading, 81 per cent met the expected standard and 28 per cent achieved the higher standard, while in maths the figures were 78 per cent and 31 per cent respectively. Average scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths. Writing saw 75 per cent at expected and 13 per cent at the higher level. The most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in January 2025, confirmed that standards are being maintained. Inspectors rated leadership and management, early years provision and overall effectiveness all as Good, with no areas requiring improvement. The school does not have a sixth form, as it is a primary.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 42 applications for 30 places and 28 first-preference offers made. That means a ratio of 1.4 applications per place, so families should definitely put it as a first choice. Facilities include music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, playing fields, an outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports on offer include cross country, cricket, athletics, netball, football and tennis, while clubs range from coding and science to gardening, eco club and chess. The school lists seven SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses from 50 families were overwhelmingly positive: 94 per cent would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed that children are happy, safe and doing well. This is a solid, well-regarded local primary that delivers above-average results and is popular enough to be oversubscribed.

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