Chalton Lower School, Luton
Chalton Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Luton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade. It was 81% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Chalton Lower School in detail
Chalton Lower School in its own words
In its own words: "At Chalton Lower School we value the children’s happiness and emotional wellbeing above all else. We make education fun and work hard to create firm foundations for lifelong learning. Every day, we help the children to enjoy the present and anticipate the future with enthusiasm and confidence. Chalton Lower School is committed to promoting racial equality and harmony."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to Chalton Lower School. I am very proud of our small and friendly school where staff, children, governors, parents and carers know each other well. The staff work hard to help the children to develop their full potential and to become well-rounded individuals who thrive on challenge and are motivated to learn."
The school runs after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Chalton Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 12 families put Chalton Lower School as their first choice and 42 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Chalton Lower School are Thornhill Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 78% reading, 85% maths); Lime Tree Primary Academy (1.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 60% maths); Sundon Lower School (1.3 miles, Good); and St Vincent's Catholic Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 93% reading, 80% maths).
Thornhill Primary SchoolLime Tree Primary AcademySundon Lower SchoolSt Vincent's Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
9.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Chalton Lower School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Lane (adjacent), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Chalton Lower School issued 3 suspensions, 4.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Chalton Lower School are Houstone School (0.9 miles) and Lealands High School (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.7
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
23.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Chalton Lower School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Chalton Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chalton Lower School is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Chalton Lower School
Will you get a place at Chalton Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Chalton Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Chalton Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Chalton Lower School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Chalton Lower School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Central Bedfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
81%
Available places
61 pupils
75 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Luton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Luton
Across Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
4,158
Applications
3,678
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
20.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
65
Total Pupils
33
Boys
32
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
13.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,838
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,085
Per pupil
£516k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
7.0%
Persistent absence
57
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Chalton Lower School
Questions parents ask about Chalton Lower School
What is Chalton Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Chalton Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Chalton Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Chalton Lower School is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Chalton Lower School?
Chalton Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 75 places.
How big are the classes at Chalton Lower School?
Classes at Chalton Lower School average 21.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Chalton Lower School?
Chalton Lower School has around 65 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Chalton Lower School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Chalton Lower School in 2024/25. 7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chalton Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Chalton Lower School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Chalton Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chalton Lower School?
Chalton Lower School is at Luton Road, Chalton, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 9UJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)