Elstow School Catchment Area
Elstow School is an academy converter primary school in Bedford , serving pupils aged 4-11, with 418 pupils, and a capacity of 420 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
4-11
Age range
418
Pupils
420
Capacity
100%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2016
Elstow School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for Elstow School?
The catchment area for Elstow School is the geographic zone Bedford uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Bedford publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
As an academy, Elstow School sets its own admissions criteria, agreed with Bedford. The catchment area boundary is defined in the school's annual admissions policy, which may differ from the LA's general school admissions arrangements.
Get an alert if Elstow School goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
The official admissions policy, including the catchment boundary map, is published by Bedford before each admissions cycle. Always verify your address with the council before submitting an application, as boundaries can change year to year.
Find Bedford catchment area documents →Elstow School: at or above its 420 place limit
Elstow School has a published admission number of 420 places. 418 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 100%. The school is at or above its published limit of 420 places. Bedford allocates places using ranked criteria: looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment distance. The last-distance figure is likely to remain tight if demand holds at this level.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 20.3% of pupils at Elstow School are eligible for free school meals, broadly in line with the national average. This reflects a mixed catchment population across Bedford.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
Bedford publishes its full admissions policy, including oversubscription criteria, the previous year's last-distance figures, and the appeals timetable, on the council's official admissions page. Find Bedford school admissions →
Elstow School: School Information
- Full address
- Abbey Fields, Elstow, Bedford, MK42 9GP
- Local authority
- Bedford
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 4-11 years
- Free school meals
- 20.3% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 144039
Other Primary Schools in Bedford
If Elstow School is oversubscribed, these primary schools in Bedford are the next closest alternatives.
Livingstone Primary School Catchment Area
Foundation school · MK41 7LG
Edith Cavell Primary School Catchment Area
Foundation school · MK41 7NH
Priory Primary School Catchment Area
Foundation school · MK40 1JD
Sheerhatch Primary School Catchment Area
Community school · MK44 3TH
Cotton End Forest School Catchment Area
Community school · MK45 3AG
Pinchmill Primary School Catchment Area
Foundation school · MK43 7JD
Nearest primary schools by distance
These are the primary schools closest to Elstow School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: Elstow School
What is the catchment area for Elstow School? ▾
The catchment area for Elstow School is the geographic zone Bedford uses to prioritise admissions when this primary school receives more applications than it has places. Children living inside the boundary are ranked higher under the oversubscription criteria, after looked-after children and siblings. Bedford publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is Elstow School oversubscribed? ▾
Elstow School is operating close to its capacity of 420 places (100% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for Elstow School? ▾
Admission to Elstow School is managed by Bedford. When oversubscribed, places go to looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment area distance. Always verify the current policy with the council before applying.
What age range does Elstow School cover? ▾
Elstow School is a primary school in Bedford, serving pupils aged 4-11. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for Elstow School? ▾
Elstow School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2016. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.