Flitwick Lower School, Bedford
Flitwick Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Bedford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2023 did not change this grade. It was 89% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
Flitwick Lower School in detail
Getting a place at Flitwick Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 56 families put Flitwick Lower School as their first choice and 106 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Flitwick Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Flitwick Lower School are Templefield Lower School (0.3 miles, Good); Kingsmoor Lower School (0.5 miles, Good); Westoning Lower School (1.3 miles); and Greenfield CofE VC Lower School (1.4 miles, Good).
Templefield Lower SchoolKingsmoor Lower SchoolWestoning Lower SchoolGreenfield CofE VC Lower School
Who goes there
8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (85%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 29 pupils (8.6%) received SEN support and 7 (2.1%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Flitwick Rail Station, about 380 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lower School (outside), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Flitwick 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, Flitwick Lower School issued 2 suspensions, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Flitwick Lower School are Woodland Middle School Academy (0.3 miles) and Redborne Upper School and Community College (1.3 miles).
Woodland Middle School AcademyRedborne Upper School and Community College
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from January 2013, 13 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 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
8.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
30.6
Avg class size
29.2
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
11
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 Flitwick Lower School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Flitwick Lower School.
- Creative Sports Coaching at Flitwick Lower SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Templefield MK45490m away · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ Kingsmoor690m away · Not yet graded
- SS Ltd @ Flitwick690m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Flitwick Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Flitwick 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
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
3 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 Flitwick Lower School
Will you get a place at Flitwick Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Flitwick Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Flitwick Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Flitwick 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 Flitwick 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
89%
Available places
268 pupils
300 places
32 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bedford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bedford
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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
29
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
10.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
336
Total Pupils
159
Boys
177
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
22.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,519
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,082
Per pupil
£1494k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
6.6%
Persistent absence
212
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
Flitwick Lower School
Questions parents ask about Flitwick Lower School
What is Flitwick Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Flitwick Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Flitwick Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Flitwick 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 Flitwick Lower School?
Flitwick Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 300 places.
How big are the classes at Flitwick Lower School?
Classes at Flitwick Lower School average 30.6 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 Flitwick Lower School?
Flitwick Lower School has around 336 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Flitwick Lower School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Flitwick Lower School in 2024/25. 6.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Flitwick Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Flitwick 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 Flitwick Lower School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Creative Sports Coaching at Flitwick Lower School (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Flitwick Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 13 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 3 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 Flitwick Lower School?
Flitwick Lower School is at Temple Way, Flitwick, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 1LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)