Cotton End Forest SchoolShortstown Primary School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Bedford.
Summary of the comparison
Cotton End Forest School and Shortstown Primary School are primary schools in Bedford.
Cotton End Forest School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Shortstown Primary School scores 60 out of 100 (grade C, average). Shortstown Primary School is ahead on our composite score.
Cotton End Forest School was judged the expected standard and Shortstown Primary School was judged the expected standard.
On the share of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, the latest published figures are 77.0% for Cotton End Forest School and 60.0% for Shortstown Primary School.
The share of pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 has risen at Cotton End Forest School (41.0% in 2022-23, 77.0% in 2024-25) and has risen at Shortstown Primary School (45.0% in 2022-23, 60.0% in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BedfordCotton End Forest School | BedfordShortstown Primary School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D54/100 | C60/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 33rd of 51 in Bedford | 19th of 51 in Bedford Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Community school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Primary | Primary | |
| Age range | 2-11 | 2-11 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 418 | 488 | |
| Capacity | 630 | 420 | |
| Location | Bedford, MK45 3AG | Bedford, MK42 0GS | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | 77.0% Stronger figure | 60.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | 107.0 Stronger figure | 104.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | 106.0 Stronger figure | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 418 | 488 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 17.7% | 27.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 11.5% | 23.4% | |
| SEN support | 13.4% | 22.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.3% | 7.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 4.7% | 4.2% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 9.3% | 7.3% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
KS2: expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Cotton End Forest School
Shortstown Primary School
Full profiles: Cotton End Forest School · Shortstown Primary School