Heathwood Lower School, Leighton Buzzard
Heathwood Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Leighton Buzzard. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2023 did not change this grade. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Heathwood Lower School in detail
Getting a place at Heathwood Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put Heathwood Lower School as their first choice and 115 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Heathwood Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Heathwood Lower School are Dovery Academy (0.2 miles); St Leonards CE Academy (0.8 miles); The Rushmere Park Academy (0.8 miles, Good); and Beaudesert Lower School (1.2 miles, Good).
Dovery AcademySt Leonards CE AcademyThe Rushmere Park AcademyBeaudesert Lower School
Who goes there
5.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 23 pupils (11.8%) received SEN support and 15 (7.7%) 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.
Heathwood Lower School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 2 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leighton Buzzard Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heath Park Drive (near), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Heathwood Lower School 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
Heathwood Lower School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Heathwood Lower School are Vandyke Upper School (0.7 miles), Gilbert Inglefield Academy (0.7 miles), Leighton Middle School (1.4 miles) and Brooklands Middle School (1.4 miles).
Vandyke Upper SchoolGilbert Inglefield AcademyLeighton Middle SchoolBrooklands Middle School
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
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 September 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 September 2013 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
5.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
30.2
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
5
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 Heathwood Lower School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Heathwood Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Heathwood 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 Heathwood Lower School
Will you get a place at Heathwood Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Heathwood Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Heathwood Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Heathwood 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 Heathwood 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
103%
Over capacity
154 pupils
150 places
4 pupils over capacity 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
19.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Heathwood Lower School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 2 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
195
Total Pupils
102
Boys
93
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
24.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,222
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,437
Per pupil
£919k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
3.2%
Persistent absence
125
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
Heathwood Lower School
Questions parents ask about Heathwood Lower School
What is Heathwood Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Heathwood Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Heathwood Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Heathwood 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 Heathwood Lower School?
Heathwood Lower School was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Heathwood Lower School?
Classes at Heathwood Lower School average 30.2 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 Heathwood Lower School?
Heathwood Lower School has around 195 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Heathwood Lower School have specialist SEN provision?
Heathwood Lower School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 8 places, 2 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Heathwood Lower School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Heathwood Lower School in 2024/25. 3.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Heathwood Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Heathwood 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.
How many road collisions happen near Heathwood Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 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 Heathwood Lower School?
Heathwood Lower School is at Heath Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 3AU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)