Ofsted: Good trending_up Places Available emoji_events #25 in Bedford public Top 74% UK

Shackleton Primary School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personDr Andie BenBrahim

corporate_fareHEART ACADEMIES TRUST

location_onBedford, MK42 9LZ

language Visit Website phone 1234352912

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2021

groups

Students

509

school

Expected Standard

54%

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Demand Ratio

1.0x

summarize

Shackleton Primary School is a Academy converter primary school in Bedford, serving ages 4-11. Rated Good by Ofsted. Ranks in the top 74% of primary schools nationally.

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School Summary

Shackleton Primary School is an academy converter in Bedford, admitting pupils aged 4-11. It is part of HEART ACADEMIES TRUST. The school has approximately 465 pupils on roll, of whom 37% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, 54% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined. The school ranks #25 of 50 primaries in Bedford and #9,163 of 14,143 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2021. The school's current overall rating is Good. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 1.0× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 28.3:1. There is 1 teaching vacancy.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 0.4 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

school

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

2025

R/W/M Expected Standard

54%

LA 53%

Reading63% LA 70%

Writing66% LA 64%

Maths66% LA 66%

Read SS

103

Maths SS

104

GPS SS

101

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

43%

LA 54%England 61%

Reading67% LA 70% · Eng 74%

Writing51% LA 64% · Eng 72%

Maths66% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Read SS

103

Maths SS

103

GPS SS

102

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

29%

LA 51%England 60%

Reading61% LA 66% · Eng 73%

Writing34% LA 61% · Eng 71%

Maths56% LA 66% · Eng 73%

Read SS

102

Maths SS

100

GPS SS

101

Progress (0 = national avg)

2.0

Read

LA 0.2

0.6 to 3.4

-0.9

Write

LA -1.2

-2.3 to 0.5

0.7

Maths

LA -0.1

-0.6 to 2.1

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

39%

LA 55%England 65%

Reading53% LA 67% · Eng 73%

Writing51% LA 67% · Eng 78%

Maths54% LA 71% · Eng 79%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

100

Progress (0 = national avg)

-1.8

Read

LA -1.5

-3.4 to -0.1

-2.5

Write

LA -2.5

-4.0 to -0.9

-2.7

Maths

LA -2.1

-4.1 to -1.2

2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

35%

LA 45%

Reading50% LA 56%

Writing55% LA 65%

Maths45% LA 57%

Read SS

100

Maths SS

GPS SS

103

Progress (0 = national avg)

-2.5

Read

LA -2.9

-4.1 to -0.9

-2.1

Write

LA -2.4

-3.7 to -0.5

-3.7

Maths

LA -2.7

-5.2 to -2.2

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

28 September 2021

Inspection Report

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06 June 2017

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2021-09-28

S5 Inspection EIF

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2013-12-12

S5 Inspection EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2010-06-09

None EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

0.2%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 0.8% for this term (primary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.2%(1 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 1.225% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 465 pupils. During this period, there were 1 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 0.2%, which is below the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	465	1	0.2%	0.8%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	448	3	0.7%	0.9%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	485	6	1.2%	0.8%	1
2023/24 (Spring term)	476	4	0.8%	0.7%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	475	22	4.6%	0.8%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	498	3	0.6%	0.7%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	509	2	0.4%	0.6%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	494	13	2.6%	0.6%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	492	10	2.0%	0.5%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	467	2	0.4%	0.5%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	449	0	0.0%	0.5%	1
2020/21 (Summer term)	450	5	1.1%	0.4%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	454	5	1.1%	0.1%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	443	7	1.6%	0.4%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	445	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	445	11	2.5%	0.4%	1
2019/20 (Autumn term)	414	9	2.2%	0.6%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	425	13	3.1%	0.4%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	425	16	3.8%	0.5%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	427	15	3.5%	0.5%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	438	10	2.3%	0.5%	1
2017/18 (Spring term)	436	8	1.8%	0.4%	1
2017/18 (Autumn term)	435	9	2.1%	0.5%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Speech, Language & Communication 59 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 14 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 10 pupils

Physical Disability 5 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 4 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 2 pupils