Derwent Primary School, Henlow
Derwent Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Henlow, part of Derwent and Southill Federation. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 51 schools in Central Bedfordshire with published results, and 1,154th of 14,452 across England. It was 78% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- 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
Derwent Primary School in detail
Derwent Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care, from £5.50 per session.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Derwent Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 94% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 66% in Central Bedfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 67% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Derwent Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 66 families put Derwent Primary School as their first choice and 128 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Derwent Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Derwent Primary School are Stondon Lower School (1.2 miles, Good); Raynsford Church of England Academy (1.5 miles, Good, 95% reading, 90% maths); Gothic Mede Academy (1.5 miles, Good); and Clifton All Saints Academy (1.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 70% maths).
Derwent Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Stondon Lower SchoolRaynsford Church of England AcademyGothic Mede AcademyClifton All Saints Academy
The trust
Derwent Primary School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Who goes there
13.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%), Mixed (11%) and Asian (7%).
In 2026, 34 pupils (8.1%) received SEN support and 16 (3.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Arlesey Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oldfield Farm Road (opposite), 230 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Derwent Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 2.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 January 2014, 12 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 January 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
13.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 67% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 67% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 53% to 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.3
Avg class size
28.6
Infant (KS1)
24.4
KS2
16
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Derwent Primary School
Issue 39 - Friday 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Issue 38 - Friday 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
Issue 37 - Friday 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Issue 36 - Friday 26th June 2026
26 Jun 2026
Issue 35 - Friday 19th June 2026
19 Jun 2026
Issue 34 - Friday 12th June 2026
12 Jun 2026
From Derwent Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Derwent Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Derwent Primary School.
- Henlow Holiday Camps DerwentAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Derwent Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Derwent Primary 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Derwent Primary School
Will you get a place at Derwent Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Derwent Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Derwent Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Derwent Primary 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 Derwent Primary 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
78%
Available places
329 pupils
420 places
91 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Henlow
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Henlow
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
11.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
419
Total Pupils
202
Boys
217
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
20.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£42,497
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,026
Per pupil
£1792k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
11.6%
Persistent absence
294
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
Derwent Primary School
Questions parents ask about Derwent Primary School
What are SATs results like at Derwent Primary School?
Of the pupils at Derwent Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 94% did so in maths.
What is Derwent Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Derwent Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Derwent Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Derwent Primary 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 Derwent Primary School?
Derwent Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Derwent Primary School?
Classes at Derwent Primary School average 26.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Derwent Primary School?
Derwent Primary School has around 419 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Derwent Primary School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Derwent Primary School in 2024/25. 11.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Derwent Primary School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Derwent Primary 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.
Does Derwent Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Henlow Holiday Camps Derwent (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Derwent Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people 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 Derwent Primary School?
Derwent Primary School is at Hitchin Road, Henlow, Bedfordshire, SG16 6BA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)