Dovery Academy, Leighton Buzzard
Dovery Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Leighton Buzzard, part of Knowledge Schools Trust. For 2026 entry it had 1.8 first-choice applications for every place. It was 93% full in 2025.
- Demand
- 1.8 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 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
Dovery Academy in detail
Dovery Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a one form entry lower school, set in extensive woodland grounds, which forms the backdrop to our caring and supportive environment. As part of the Knowledge Schools Trust (KST) since September 2022, we have embraced a strong and ambitious curriculum, which provides an excellent platform through which our children can learn."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Dovery Academy
For September 2026 entry, 53 families put Dovery Academy as their first choice and 131 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.8 first choices for every place. 24 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dovery Academy are Heathwood Lower School (0.2 miles, Good); The Rushmere Park Academy (0.7 miles, Good); St Leonards CE Academy (1 mile); and The Mary Bassett Lower School (1 mile, Good).
Heathwood Lower SchoolThe Rushmere Park AcademySt Leonards CE AcademyThe Mary Bassett Lower School
The trust
Dovery Academy is one of 9 schools run by Knowledge Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
55 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dovery Academy (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 89% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (89%).
Who goes there
5.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 17 pupils (8.9%) received SEN support and 6 (3.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Dovery Academy had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leighton Buzzard Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hillside Road (adjacent), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Dovery Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Dovery Academy issued 10 suspensions, 6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Dovery Academy are Gilbert Inglefield Academy (0.7 miles), Vandyke Upper School (0.7 miles), Leighton Middle School (1.2 miles) and Brooklands Middle School (1.3 miles).
Gilbert Inglefield AcademyVandyke Upper SchoolLeighton Middle SchoolBrooklands Middle School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Dovery Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2022. Before that, as Dovery Down Lower School (URN 109516), it was rated Inadequate in October 2021.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Dovery Academy excels at teaching reading through expert phonics instruction and carefully selected books that engage pupils. The school creates a vibrant community where children develop independence, resilience and confidence through rich activities like woodland exploration, den building, and music performances. All pupils benefit from outstanding support for their physical and mental health, with daily exercise opportunities and trained staff who help them understand their emotions.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional knowledge-rich curriculum with clear focus on vocabulary and confidence in articulating ideas
- Expert phonics teaching and exceptional achievement in reading
- Outstanding personal development through trips, music lessons, and leadership opportunities
- Rapid identification and effective support for pupils with SEND
- Calm, purposeful environment where pupils understand high expectations and flourish
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff well-trained to support pupils and pupils knowing they can access help through channels like the 'Ask Twiggle' communication box.
Extracurricular Activities
Music lessons (all pupils learn an instrument), clubs, woodland activities, den building, music performances, assembly leading, trips and visits, lunchtime clubs and games, charity fundraising, water and electricity conservation campaigns
Dovery Academy is an outstanding primary school where pupils are exceptionally eager to learn in a calm and purposeful environment. All key areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management - have been judged as outstanding.
At a Glance
5.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
55 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
30.3
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dovery Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dovery Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dovery Academy 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 Dovery Academy
Will you get a place at Dovery Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dovery Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dovery Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dovery Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Dovery Academy for 2023 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
93%
Near capacity
139 pupils
150 places
11 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leighton Buzzard
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leighton Buzzard
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: 1.8 first choices per place
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
12.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
191
Total Pupils
86
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
21.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,564
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,355
Per pupil
£822k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
5.4%
Persistent absence
112
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
Questions parents ask about Dovery Academy
What is Dovery Academy's Ofsted rating?
Dovery Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in September 2022. Before that, as Dovery Down Lower School (URN 109516), it was rated Inadequate in October 2021.
What is the catchment area for Dovery Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Dovery Academy 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 Dovery Academy?
Dovery Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at Dovery Academy?
Classes at Dovery Academy average 30.3 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 Dovery Academy?
Dovery Academy has around 191 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dovery Academy?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Dovery Academy in 2024/25. 5.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dovery Academy?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Dovery Academy 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 Dovery Academy?
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 Dovery Academy?
Dovery Academy is at Heath Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 3AG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)