St John's School Catchment Area
St John's School is an academy special converter not applicable school in Bedford , serving pupils aged 2-19, with 178 pupils, and a capacity of 181 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
2-19
Age range
178
Pupils
181
Capacity
98%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2023
St John's School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for St John's School?
The catchment area for St John's School is the geographic zone Bedford uses to prioritise admissions when this not applicable 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, St John's 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 St John's 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 →St John's School: 181 places, 98% filled: nearing capacity
St John's School has a published admission number of 181 places. 178 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 98%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 181, 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. 48.6% of pupils at St John's School are eligible for free school meals, above the national average of around 24%. This reflects the school's role in a higher-deprivation area 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 John's School: School Information
- Full address
- Austin Canons, Bedford Road, Bedford, MK42 8AA
- Local authority
- Bedford
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Phase of education
- Not applicable
- Age range
- 2-19 years
- Free school meals
- 48.6% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 137469
Other Not applicable Schools in Bedford
If St John's School is oversubscribed, these not applicable schools in Bedford are the next closest alternatives.
Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School Catchment Area
Other independent school · MK41 7QZ
Bedford Greenacre Independent School Catchment Area
Other independent school · MK41 7FZ
Bedford School Catchment Area
Other independent school · MK40 2TU
Polam School Catchment Area
Other independent school · MK40 2BU
Bedford Girls' School Catchment Area
Other independent school · MK42 0BX
Bedford Modern School Catchment Area
Other independent school · MK41 7NT
Nearest not applicable schools by distance
These are the not applicable schools closest to St John's 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: St John's School
What is the catchment area for St John's School? ▾
The catchment area for St John's School is the geographic zone Bedford uses to prioritise admissions when this not applicable 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 St John's School oversubscribed? ▾
St John's School is operating close to its capacity of 181 places (98% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for St John's School? ▾
Admission to St John's 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 St John's School cover? ▾
St John's School is a not applicable school in Bedford, serving pupils aged 2-19. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for St John's School? ▾
St John's School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2023. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.