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Most schools in our area have a catchment area policy. There will be a lower, primary, middle, secondary and upper school which serves the area in which you live. 

Some catchment areas cross local authority boundaries. Some Central Bedfordshire home addresses are found in Bedford Borough catchment areas. 

There are a growing number of schools which do not have a catchment area.  Some of these are faith schools that have never had a catchment area. Other schools have removed the catchment area from their admission policy. These schools are marked * within the gazetteer.

We cannot guarantee you a place at your catchment area school.

Contact the School Admissions Service on 01234 718120 or admissions@bedford.gov.uk for school admissions help.

Schools listed below are catchment area schools for admissions criteria purposes only. They do not relate to free home to school transport. Free home to school transport is no longer provided on the basis of catchment areas. 

Go to school transport or contact school.transport@bedford.gov.uk before selecting a preferred school.

Towns and villages with their school catchment areas

Towns and villages in Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire are listed below. Scroll down to the appropriate town or village to find the catchment area school. Links provide further information when there are a number of schools within the community.

Key:

  • BBC = Bedford Borough Council
  • CBC = Central Bedfordshire Council

* The school for this address no longer has a catchment area as part of its admission policy

Town or Village Local Authority Area Primary School Variations Secondary School
Bedford BBC Link to Bedford   Link to Bedford
Begwary BBC Wilden   Mark Rutherford
Biddenham BBC St James   Biddenham

Bletsoe

(Crossways Farmhouse is in the parish of Sharnbrook)

 BBC Riseley   Sharnbrook
Blunham CBC John Donne   Sandy
Bolnhurst and Keysoe BBC Kymbrook   Sharnbrook
Bourne End CBC Cranfield
(Years R - 4)		 Holywell (Years 5-8) Wootton (for Year 9 and above)

Bromham

(Some properties on Box End Road are in parish of Kempston Rural.

 BBC Bromham VC   Biddenham or Lincroft

Cardington

(Summerhill House, Meadow Lane are in Bedford. The new Cardington development is in Eastcotts parish)

 BBC Shortstown   Bedford Academy
Carlton and Chellington BBC Carlton   Sharnbrook
Chalton (near Moggerhanger) CBC Moggerhanger   Sandy
Chawston BBC Roxton   Sandy or Mark Rutherford
Chellington BBC Carlton   Sharnbrook

Clapham

(Some properties on Clapham Road are in Bedford. Brownswood Farm is in parish of Oakley. Properties in Twinwoods are in Milton Ernest)

 BBC Ursula Taylor   Lincroft
Colesden BBC Roxton   Sandy or Mark Rutherford

Colmworth

(Millfield Cottage and Berry Wood Farm are in Little Staughton. Orchard Cottage is in Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden. The following properties have a postal address of Colmworth but are in the parish of Staploe: Honeypot Cottage, Thatched Cottage, Home Farm Cottage, Bushmead Farm, The Lodge, White Cottage and Upper Honeydon Farm)

 BBC Wilden   Mark Rutherford
or Sharnbrook
Cople BBC Sheerhatch   Bedford Academy or Mark Rutherford
Cotton End BBC Cotton End or Shortstown   Bedford Academy
Cranfield CBC Cranfield
(Years R - 4)		 Holywell
(Years 5 - 8)		 Wootton (for Year 9 and above)

 

Dean and Shelton

 BBC Eileen Wade   Sharnbrook
Duloe BBC Wilden   Sandy or Sharnbrook or Mark Rutherford
Eastcotts BBC Cotton End or Shortstown   Bedford Academy

Eaton Socon (Cambs)

(Cobholden Cottage/Farm and the Two Brewers are in parish of Staploe, despite having addresses in Eaton Socon which is Cambs)

 BBC Wilden   Sandy or Mark Rutherford
Elstow BBC *   Bedford Academy
Farndish BBC Christopher Reeves   Sharnbrook
Felmersham BBC Pinchmill   Sharnbrook
Great Barford BBC Great Barford   Sandy or Mark Rutherford
Great Denham  BBC Great Denham or St James   Biddenham

Hail Weston (Cambs)

(Sharp's Barn and Sharpes House are in parish of Staploe, although have address in Hail Weston, which is Cambs)

 BBC Wilden   Sandy or Mark Rutherford

Hargrave (Northants)

(Mill View Farm is in parish of Dean and Shelton, although address is Hargrave, which is Northants)

 BBC Eileen Wade   Sharnbrook
Harrold BBC Harrold   Sharnbrook
Harrowden BBC Shortstown   Bedford Academy
Hatch End BBC Kymbrook   Sharnbrook
Hinwick BBC Christopher Reeves   Sharnbrook
Honeydon BBC Wilden   Mark Rutherford or Sharnbrook
Houghton Conquest (village) CBC Houghton Conquest
(Years R - 4)		 Marston Vale
(Years 5 - 8)		 Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Houghton Conquest (Wixams Development) CBC/BBC CBC and BBC
Lakeview or Willow Grove		 CBC
Marston Vale
(Years 5 - 8)		 CBC
Wootton (Year 9 and above)
BBC
Bedford Academy 
Kempston BBC Link to Kempston   *

Kempston Hardwick

(Cowbridge Cottage which is in Kempston gazetteer. Kiln Road, Chimney Corner and Travellers Site are in Broadmead Lower catchment.)

 BBC Houghton Conquest
(Years R - 4)		 Marston Vale
(Years 5 - 8)		 Wootton (Year 9 and over)
Keysoe BBC Kymbrook   Sharnbrook
Keysoe Row BBC Kymbrook   Sharnbrook
Knotting and Souldrop BBC Sharnbrook   Sharnbrook
Lidlington CBC Thomas Johnson
(Years R - 4)		 Marston Vale
(Years 5 - 8)		 Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Little Barford CBC / BBC depending on address Roxton   Sandy or Mark Rutherford
Little Barford - Little End Cambs Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire

Little Staughton

(Bassmead Barns, Moor Road PE19 5BJ is in Staploe.)

 BBC Kymbrook   Sharnbrook
Lower Dean BBC Eileen Wade   Sharnbrook
Lower Shelton CBC CBC Marston Vale (Years 5-8) Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Marston Moretaine CBC CBC Marston Vale (Years 5-8) Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Melchbourne BBC Riseley   Sharnbrook

Milton Ernest

(Coombelands Park is in Bletsoe.)

 BBC Milton Ernest   Sharnbrook

Moggerhanger

(Willowhill Cottages, Bedford Road, Moggerhanger which are BBC and in parish of Willington)

 CBC Moggerhanger   Sandy
Oakley BBC Oakley   Lincroft
Odell BBC Harrold   Sharnbrook

 

Pavenham

 BBC Pinchmill   Sharnbrook
Pertenhall BBC Riseley   Sharnbrook
Podington (Including Hinwick) BBC Christopher Reeves   Sharnbrook
Radwell BBC Pinchmill   Sharnbrook
Ravensden
(Glenrose Avenue, Wagstaffe Close, Cleat Hill and Woodlands Park are in Bedford)		 BBC Ravensden   Mark Rutherford
Renhold
(Developments off Norse Road are in Bedford.)		 BBC Renhold   Mark Rutherford
Riseley BBC Riseley   Sharnbrook
Roxton BBC Roxton   Sandy or Mark Rutherford

Sharnbrook

(Chettles Close is in Bletsoe. Glebe Farm, Odell Road is in Odell.)

 BBC Sharnbrook   Sharnbrook
Shelton and Dean BBC Eileen Wade   Sharnbrook
Shelton (Near Marston Moretaine) CBC CBC Marston Vale (Years 5-8) Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Shortstown BBC Shortstown or Cotton End   Bedford Academy
Souldrop (and Knotting) BBC Sharnbrook   Sharnbrook

Stagsden

(Mount Pleasant Farm/Grange are in Turvey)

 BBC Bromham VC   Biddenham or Lincroft
Staploe BBC Wilden   Sandy or Sharnbrook or Mark Rutherford
Staughton Moor BBC Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire

Stevington

(Midway House, Stevington are in Carlton and Chellington parishes. The Spinney is in Pavenham)

 BBC Bromham VC   Lincroft
Stewartby BBC Broadmead (Years R - 4) Marston Vale (Years 5-8) Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Stewartby (Claydon Orchard, Georgian Croft, Heather Mead, Hereward Green, Longville Grove, parts of Milton Crescent and parts of Saxon Gold Drive) CBC Houghton Conquest (Years R -4) Marston Vale (Years 5-8) Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Swineshead BBC Riseley   Sharnbrook
Tempsford CBC Roxton   Sandy

Thurleigh

(Some properties in Thurleigh Business Park are in Bletsoe and Riseley parishes.)

 BBC Thurleigh   Sharnbrook
Turvey BBC Turvey   Sharnbrook
Upper Dean BBC Eileen Wade   Sharnbrook
Upper Shelton CBC CBC Marston Vale (Years 5-8) Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Upper Staploe BBC Wilden   Sandy or Sharnbrook or Mark Rutherford

Wilden

(Blacklands, Kimbolton Road are in Bolnhurst and Keysoe parishes)

 BBC Wilden   Mark Rutherford or Sharnbrook
Willington BBC Sheerhatch   Bedford Academy or Mark Rutherford

Wilstead

(Bedford Road - odds 117> and evens 78>, Dane Lane, Kenneth Way and Watson Road are in Lakeview catchment as they are in the area of Wixams)

 BBC Wilstead   Bedford Academy
Wixams BBC Lakeview or Willow Grove   Bedford Academy

Wootton

(Acrey Farm House, Belmont and CP Farm are in Stewartby and Wootton Green)

 BBC Wootton
(Years R - 4)		 Holywell
(Years 5 - 8)		 Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Wootton Green CBC / BBC depending on address Shelton
(Years R - 4)		 Marston Vale
(Years 5 - 8)		 Wootton (Year 9 and above)
Wyboston BBC Roxton   Sandy or Mark Rutherford
Wymington BBC St Lawrence   Sharnbrook
Yielden BBC Eileen Wade or Riseley   Sharnbrook