Fairfield Park Lower School, Fairfield Park
Fairfield Park Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Fairfield Park. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. It was 97% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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 27 Oct 2026
Fairfield Park Lower School in detail
Getting a place at Fairfield Park Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 74 families put Fairfield Park Lower School as their first choice and 165 named it as one of their preferences, for 85 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Fairfield Park Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Fairfield Park Lower School are Stonehill School (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 84% maths); Northfields Infants and Nursery School (1 mile, Requires improvement); The Grange Academy (1 mile, Good, 72% reading, 83% maths); and Gothic Mede Academy (1.1 miles, Good).
Stonehill SchoolNorthfields Infants and Nursery SchoolThe Grange AcademyGothic Mede Academy
Who goes there
8.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (69%), Mixed (14%) and Asian (7%).
In 2026, 97 pupils (20.3%) received SEN support and 12 (2.5%) 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 Letchworth Garden City Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dickens Boulevard (on), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Fairfield Park Lower School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Fairfield Park Lower School issued 13 suspensions, 2.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Fairfield Park Lower School are Etonbury Academy (1.4 miles), Pix Brook Academy (1.5 miles) and Fearnhill School (1.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils embark on a rich, personal development journey in their time at this school. They access an extensive range of wider opportunities that prepare them well for the modern world. At the heart of this, pupils gain a deep understanding of culture and heritage beyond that of their own lived experiences. This celebration of diversity runs through all aspects of school life. This fosters high levels of mutual respect. The pupils have a strong sense of belonging to 'two sites but one school'.
Through careful planning, pupils take on anti-bullying roles and represent the school council. They are inspired to learn about engineering, the environment, the arts and being entrepreneurs. All pupils take part in sports competitions and benefit from sports coaching. They access many clubs such as gardening, art and drama. Pupils enjoy volunteering and fundraising in school and for the community.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has ensured that the curriculum is ambitious and tailored to the changing needs and interests of its pupils. Leaders have made it clear to staff what they need to teach and when. Subject leaders are knowledgeable. They provide staff with effective guidance to teach the curriculum as intended. This has been particularly successful in reading, phonics and times tables, for example. The school also check that knowledge for pupils builds logically over time, starting in Nursery.
Staff regularly provide pupils with the opportunity to revisit key knowledge. In most instances, pupils can recall their learning. However, there are a few instances where this is less secure. The school also checks on how well pupils have gained the knowledge they need. Teachers give regular feedback on learning to help pupils identify how they can improve their work. However, in some areas, the clarity of this feedback is inconsistent. This means that some pupils are not always sure about what they need to do to improve or deepen their understanding, including in writing.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
8.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.2
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
29.2
KS2
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Fairfield Park Lower School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Fairfield Park Lower School.
- Premier Fairfield Holiday Club180m away · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Fairfield Park Lower School360m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Fairfield Park Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Fairfield Park 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 1 serious and 0 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 Fairfield Park Lower School
Will you get a place at Fairfield Park Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Fairfield Park Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Fairfield Park Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Fairfield Park 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 Fairfield Park 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
437 pupils
450 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Fairfield Park
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Fairfield Park
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
97
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
22.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
479
Total Pupils
263
Boys
216
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,003
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,410
Per pupil
£2581k
Total funding
£42k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
7.4%
Persistent absence
363
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
Fairfield Park Lower School
Questions parents ask about Fairfield Park Lower School
What is Fairfield Park Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Fairfield Park Lower School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Fairfield Park Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Fairfield Park 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 Fairfield Park Lower School?
Fairfield Park Lower School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Fairfield Park Lower School?
Classes at Fairfield Park Lower School average 28.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Fairfield Park Lower School?
Fairfield Park Lower School has around 479 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Fairfield Park Lower School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Fairfield Park Lower School in 2024/25. 7.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Fairfield Park Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Fairfield Park 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.
Does Fairfield Park Lower School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Fairfield Park Lower School: Premier Fairfield Holiday Club (180m away, registered, not yet graded) and Junior Adventures Group @ Fairfield Park Lower School (360m away, 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 Fairfield Park Lower 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, 1 serious and 0 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 Fairfield Park Lower School?
Fairfield Park Lower School is at Dickens Boulevard, Fairfield Park, Hertfordshire, SG5 4FD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)