John Donne Church of England Primary School
Voluntary aided primary school in Bedford (Central Bedfordshire).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Providing excellence and enjoyment for everyone within a happy, safe and Christian environment. I am delighted to welcome you to our school. Starting school is an exciting time for you and your family and you will be welcomed into John Donne with care, love and support. Thank you for taking the time to browse our website.
I hope that you find it informative and that it answers any questions you may have. My name is Anita Whitehurst and I am the Executive Headteacher and I feel truly privileged to lead this welcoming and happy village school. At John Donne we have high expectations of our children and set challenging targets for them.
Every child is encouraged to reach their full potential and we recognise that every child is special and has their own contributions to make. Our staff are dedicated and hardworking and want your children to have a memorable school experience. We provide a safe, calm and caring atmosphere.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
5 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Computing
- Cooking
- Music
- Textiles
- Times Tables Rock Stars
Awards
1 awardiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- ArtsmarkArts and culture
Key facts
- URN
- 109615
- Type
- Voluntary aided school
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- Has Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Constituency
- North Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Governing body (8 current, 2 former)
Maintained school governing body.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Diane Osborne | Chair of Governors | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rev Graham Buckle | Governor | Ex-officio foundation governor (appointed by foundation by virtue of the office they hold) | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Anita Whitehurst | Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Samantha Bradbury | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Colin Lloyd | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Rev Jodie Brown | Governor | Ex-officio foundation governor (appointed by foundation by virtue of the office they hold) | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Jane Godley | Governor | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Matthew Parker | Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mr Adam Prosho Former | Governor | Elected by parents | since 2022 · term ended 2025 |
| Mr Peter Holden Former | Governor | Foundation/sponsor members | since 2017 · term ended 2025 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record