St James' CofE Academy Catchment Area
St James' CofE Academy is an academy converter primary school in Bedford , serving pupils aged 5-11, with 192 pupils, and a capacity of 210 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
5-11
Age range
192
Pupils
210
Capacity
91%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2012
St James' CofE Academy Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St James' CofE Academy?
The catchment area for St James' CofE Academy 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, in most years, faith-based criteria. Bedford publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Admission to St James' CofE Academy is managed by Bedford and typically includes both faith criteria and catchment area proximity. The weighting given to each criterion depends on the school's published oversubscription policy, which is reviewed annually.
Get an alert if St James' CofE Academy 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 →St James' CofE Academy: 210 places, 91% filled: nearing capacity
St James' CofE Academy has a published admission number of 210 places. 192 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 91%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 210, Bedford's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 19.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, below the national average. The school draws primarily from a lower-deprivation part of 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 →
St James' CofE Academy: School Information
- Full address
- Main Road, Biddenham, Bedford, MK40 4BD
- Local authority
- Bedford
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Primary
- Age range
- 5-11 years
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Free school meals
- 19.3% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 148982
Other Primary Schools in Bedford
If St James' CofE Academy 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
Other Church of England Schools in Bedford
St James' CofE Academy shares its religious character with these Church of England schools across Bedford. Faith criteria typically sit alongside catchment distance in each school's admissions policy.
Renhold VC Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Bedford
Carlton CofE Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Bedford
Bromham CofE Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Bedford
Milton Ernest CofE Primary School Catchment Area
Voluntary controlled school · Bedford
Nearest primary schools by distance
These are the primary schools closest to St James' CofE Academy 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: St James' CofE Academy
What is the catchment area for St James' CofE Academy? ▾
The catchment area for St James' CofE Academy 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, in most years, faith-based criteria. Bedford publishes the exact boundary and the last distance offered before each admissions cycle, and the boundary can change year to year.
Is St James' CofE Academy oversubscribed? ▾
St James' CofE Academy is operating close to its capacity of 210 places (91% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for St James' CofE Academy? ▾
St James' CofE Academy uses both faith criteria and catchment area proximity in its admissions policy. The weighting is reviewed annually and published by Bedford before each admissions cycle.
What age range does St James' CofE Academy cover? ▾
St James' CofE Academy is a primary school in Bedford, serving pupils aged 5-11. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for St James' CofE Academy? ▾
St James' CofE Academy was rated Good by Ofsted in 2012. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.