Ridgmont Lower School, Bedford
Ridgmont Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Bedford. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. It was 8% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- 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
Ridgmont Lower School in detail
Ridgmont Lower School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am very proud to be part of the Ridgmont team and have been since September 2001. This school is a fantastic place to learn, play and work where children are at the centre of everything we do. We are fortunate to be in this beautiful Bedfordshire village with its supportive community."
The school runs a breakfast club, from £5.50 per session.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Ridgmont Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 1 family put Ridgmont Lower School as their first choice and 4 named it as one of their preferences, for 2 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 Ridgmont Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ridgmont Lower School are Husborne Crawley Lower School (1 mile, Good); Aspley Guise Village School (1.8 miles); Lidlington Primary School (2 miles, Good); and Eversholt Lower School (2.2 miles, Good).
Husborne Crawley Lower SchoolAspley Guise Village SchoolLidlington Primary SchoolEversholt Lower School
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 7 pupils (63.6%) received SEN support and 1 (9.1%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Ridgmont Lower School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 2 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ridgmont Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ridgmont Lower School (outside), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).
Suspensions and exclusions
Ridgmont Lower School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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
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 · 11 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a small, welcoming school where every child matters and feels valued. Staff are highly skilled at understanding how each child learns and providing the right support, whether they need extra help or are ready for greater challenge. Pupils develop strong character alongside their learning - showing kindness, resilience, and teamwork - which prepares them brilliantly for their next stage of education.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and attendance with calm, purposeful classrooms and strong relationships between pupils and staff
- Highly effective phonics teaching and reading support for all learners, including those joining mid-year
- Strong focus on pupils' emotional wellbeing and personal development, helping them build resilience and confidence
- Inclusive approach with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
- Well-trained staff who understand individual learning needs and provide tailored support
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils need greater support to develop secure writing skills across the curriculum
- Inconsistency in pupils' application of grammar skills, such as correct use of capital letters, in wider curriculum subjects
- Further development needed to ensure all curriculum subjects are taught as consistently well as reading, writing and mathematics
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and acted upon, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Physical education, art, singing, parkour
Ridgmont Lower School is a small, caring school where pupils arrive eager to learn and develop strong relationships. The school has made positive progress addressing previous inspection priorities, particularly in reading and early years communication skills.
At a Glance
18.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
3.7
Avg class size
5.0
Infant (KS1)
2.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Ridgmont Lower School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ridgmont Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ridgmont 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
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
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, 0 serious and 1 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 Ridgmont Lower School
Will you get a place at Ridgmont Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ridgmont Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ridgmont Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ridgmont 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 Ridgmont 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
8%
Available places
6 pupils
75 places
69 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(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
72.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
11
Total Pupils
9
Boys
2
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
2.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,164
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£27,638
Per pupil
£236k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2023/24
5.5%
Overall absence
16.7%
Persistent absence
6
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Ridgmont Lower School
What is Ridgmont Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Ridgmont Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Ridgmont Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Ridgmont 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 Ridgmont Lower School?
Ridgmont Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 8% of its 75 places.
How big are the classes at Ridgmont Lower School?
Classes at Ridgmont Lower School average 3.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ridgmont Lower School?
Ridgmont Lower School has around 11 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ridgmont Lower School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Ridgmont Lower School in 2023/24. 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ridgmont Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Ridgmont 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 Ridgmont 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, 0 serious and 1 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 Ridgmont Lower School?
Ridgmont Lower School is at High Street, Ridgmont, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 0TS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)