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# Cotton End Forest School

Cotton End Forest School is a state-maintained primary school in Bedford, United Kingdom with 435 pupils. Ofsted: Requires improvement, inspected 24 January 2023. As of 12 November 2026 it is advertising 1 vacancy: Headteacher (closes 15 November).

Listed on EduAtlas: the school’s official record and its live vacancies. [1 live vacancy](https://eduatlas.org/#vacancies).

- **Head:** Karen Headland, Headteacher
- **Type:** State-maintained, Primary
- **Pupils:** 435 pupils · 45% girls · 17.7% eligible for free school meals · 10.6% with English as an additional language — DfE school census, 2025/26
- **Special needs:** 76 (17.5%) on SEN support · 21 (4.8%) with an education, health and care plan — DfE, Special educational needs in England, 2025/26
- **Local authority:** Bedford
- **Location:** Bedford, MK45 3AG, United Kingdom
- **Telephone:** 01234740100
- **Website:** [cottonendforestschool.co.uk](https://www.cottonendforestschool.co.uk/)
- **Register number:** URN 109446 ([register entry](https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/109446))
- **Ofsted:** Requires improvement, inspected 24 January 2023

## Vacancies (1)

- [Headteacher](https://eduatlas.org/jobs/2go9glrw35a-headteacher) · Salary £68,691 to £93,414 a year · Closes 15 Nov · Full time · Could you lead a school where learning goes beyond the classroom? Cotton End Forest School is seeking an inspirational Headteacher who will further develop our inclusive ethos and…

## Exam results

| Year | KS2 expected | KS2 higher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2024/25 | 77% | 0% |
| 2023/24 | 59% | 0% |
| 2022/23 | 41% | 0% |

Department for Education performance tables.

## Inspections

| Date | Inspection | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 24 January 2023 | Graded inspection | Requires improvement |

Ofsted. Inspections graded schools Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate until August 2024. From September 2024 there were no overall grades; since November 2025 a report card grades each area: exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention or urgent improvement.

## Staff

| Year | Teachers | Pupils per teacher | Leavers | Vacancies | Average pay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025/26 | 19.0 | 22.9 | – | 0 | £47,634 |
| 2024/25 | 17.0 | 24.6 | 18% | 0 | £45,791 |
| 2023/24 | 16.0 | 24.3 | 19% | 0 | £42,803 |
| 2022/23 | 14.0 | 25.9 | 14% | 0 | £36,891 |
| 2021/22 | 12.0 | 27.5 | 17% | 0 | £39,043 |
| 2020/21 | 10.0 | 29.6 | 0% | 0 | £39,662 |

Department for Education, School Workforce Census. Teachers are full-time equivalent. "Leavers" is the share of teachers who moved to another state school or left state schools by the following November, so the latest year has none yet. Vacancies are posts vacant or filled temporarily on census day in November. Average pay is for all teachers, leaders included.

## Attendance

| Year | Sessions missed | Unauthorised | Persistently absent | Severely absent |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025/26 | 3.9% | 0.9% | 8.2% | 1.2% |
| 2024/25 | 4.8% | 1.2% | 11.2% | 1.3% |
| 2023/24 | 4.2% | 0.8% | 8.6% | 1.4% |
| 2022/23 | 6.3% | 1.3% | 17.6% | 0.8% |
| 2021/22 | 5.4% | 0.7% | 13.6% | 1.7% |
| 2020/21 | 2.3% | 0.3% | 6.6% | 2.0% |

Department for Education, pupil absence statistics, autumn and spring terms of each year so years compare. Persistently absent: share of pupils who missed 10% or more of sessions. Severely absent: share who missed half or more. There are no figures for 2019/20 (school closures).

## Hiring history

3 past vacancies seen since May 2026: 3 support. Most often advertised: Apprentice Teaching Assistant, HLTA/Senior Teaching Assistant, Midday Supervisory Assistant. Last advertised October 2026.

Counted from the job services and school websites EduAtlas reads; a school may also advertise elsewhere.

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## Sources

Register details and head: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools. Results: Department for Education performance tables. Vacancies: public job services and the school's own website, checked continuously. Nothing here is estimated.

Page compiled 12 November 2026, 05:03 UTC. Also as [plain text](https://eduatlas.org/schools/cotton-end-forest-school.md).

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