Haynes Lower School, Bedford
Haynes 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 July 2023. For 2026 entry it had 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. It was 83% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- 1.5 first choices per place
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 79 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 28 Oct 2026
Haynes Lower School in detail
Getting a place at Haynes Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 36 families put Haynes Lower School as their first choice and 59 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 12 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Haynes Lower School are Cotton End Forest School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, 93% reading, 83% maths); Wilstead Primary School (2.4 miles); St Mary's VA CofE Lower School (2.7 miles, Good); and Southill Lower School (3 miles, Good).
Cotton End Forest SchoolWilstead Primary SchoolSt Mary's VA CofE Lower SchoolSouthill Lower School
Who goes there
5.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Asian (10%).
In 2026, 17 pupils (12.5%) received SEN support and 9 (6.6%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Haynes Lower School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Haynes Lower School.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Foresters Close (adjacent), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, burglary and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Haynes Lower School issued 1 suspension, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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); 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
5.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
19.2
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
18.5
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Haynes Lower School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Haynes Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Haynes Lower School is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
- How to apply: Apply now for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
2 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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Haynes Lower School
Will you get a place at Haynes Lower School?
For 2026 entry it had 36 first choices for 24 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
83%
Available places
100 pupils
120 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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: 1.5 first choices per place
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
19.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
136
Total Pupils
68
Boys
68
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
15.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£40,920
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,240
Per pupil
£683k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
10.1%
Persistent absence
79
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Haynes Lower School
What is Haynes Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Haynes Lower School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2010 it was rated Outstanding.
Is it hard to get a place at Haynes Lower School?
Haynes Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 120 places.
How big are the classes at Haynes Lower School?
Classes at Haynes Lower School average 19.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Haynes Lower School?
Haynes Lower School has around 136 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Haynes Lower School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Haynes Lower School in 2024/25. 10.1% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Haynes Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 2 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 Haynes Lower School?
Haynes Lower School is at Foresters Close, Haynes, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 3PR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)