Lark Rise Academy, Dunstable
Lark Rise Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Dunstable, part of Chiltern Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 20 schools in Dunstable with published results, and 320th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
- Demand
- 1.5 first choices per place
- 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
Lark Rise Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 98% of Year 6 pupils at Lark Rise Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 95% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 66% in Central Bedfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 89% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Lark Rise Academy
For September 2026 entry, 69 families put Lark Rise Academy as their first choice and 159 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 25 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lark Rise Academy are Ardley Hill Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 69% maths); Watling Lower School (0.5 miles); Dunstable Icknield Lower School (0.6 miles); and Ashton St Peter's VA C of E School (0.7 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths).
Lark Rise Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Ardley Hill AcademyWatling Lower SchoolDunstable Icknield Lower SchoolAshton St Peter's VA C of E School
The trust
Lark Rise Academy is one of 21 schools run by Chiltern Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
155 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lark Rise Academy (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 83% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (83%).
Who goes there
7.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 28 pupils (8%) received SEN support and 9 (2.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Lark Rise Academy had 20 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 3.6 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Queensbury Academy (outside), 400 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lark Rise Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 152 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lark Rise Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lark Rise Academy are Queensbury Academy (0.2 miles), Priory Academy (0.8 miles), Manshead Church of England Academy (1.3 miles) and All Saints Academy Dunstable (1.5 miles).
Queensbury AcademyPriory AcademyManshead Church of England AcademyAll Saints Academy Dunstable
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2013, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Lark Rise Academy excels at building confident, independent learners with strong foundations in reading, writing and maths. The school creates a calm, purposeful learning environment where pupils feel safe, supported and eager to learn. Staff adapt teaching with precision to meet each child's needs, and the school's strong culture of positive behaviour means pupils are respectful, engaged and genuinely happy.
Key Strengths
- Excellent early reading programme with pupils developing strong phonics skills and a love of reading
- Precise support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to thrive and achieve alongside their peers
- Outstanding behaviour, attendance and personal development with strong school culture
- Rigorous curriculum leadership ensuring pupils produce high-quality work and perform strongly in assessments
- Comprehensive well-being support including trained therapists and a pupil safety squad
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff and pupils working together through the pupil safety squad to report concerns and keep children safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Year 5 trip to France, digital leaders programme, music education, science experiences (e.g. meeting snakes), reading robot activity, before-school childcare
Lark Rise Academy is an outstanding primary school where pupils achieve highly and are charming, compassionate and confident. The school provides excellent support for pupil well-being and maintains high expectations across a well-planned curriculum.
At a Glance
7.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
155 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 89% to 98% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 95% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.8
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
12
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Lark Rise Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Lark Rise Academy.
- Kidz Zone Club950m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lark Rise Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lark Rise 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Lark Rise Academy
Will you get a place at Lark Rise Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lark Rise Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lark Rise Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lark Rise 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 Lark Rise Academy 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
99%
Near capacity
311 pupils
315 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dunstable
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dunstable
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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
10.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
351
Total Pupils
177
Boys
174
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,280
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1683k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
3.3%
Persistent absence
275
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 Lark Rise Academy
What are SATs results like at Lark Rise Academy?
Of the pupils at Lark Rise Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 98% reached the expected standard in reading and 95% did so in maths.
What is Lark Rise Academy's Ofsted rating?
Lark Rise Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Lark Rise Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Lark Rise 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 Lark Rise Academy?
Lark Rise Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Lark Rise Academy?
Classes at Lark Rise Academy average 28.8 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Lark Rise Academy?
Lark Rise Academy has around 351 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lark Rise Academy?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Lark Rise Academy in 2024/25. 3.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lark Rise Academy?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lark Rise 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.
Does Lark Rise Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Lark Rise Academy: Kidz Zone Club (950m 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 Lark Rise Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Lark Rise Academy?
Lark Rise Academy is at Cartmel Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3PT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)