Shillington Lower School, Hitchin
Shillington Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Hitchin. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. It was 55% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
Shillington Lower School in detail
Shillington Lower School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:50am and after-school care until 5:30pm, from £5.50 per session.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Shillington Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Shillington Lower School as their first choice and 28 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 Shillington Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Shillington Lower School are Gravenhurst Academy (1.1 miles, Outstanding); Meppershall Church of England Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 63% reading, 44% maths); Stondon Lower School (1.9 miles, Good); and Pirton School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 70% maths).
Gravenhurst AcademyMeppershall Church of England AcademyStondon Lower SchoolPirton School
Who goes there
13.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.2% 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 (9%).
In 2026, 24 pupils (25.5%) received SEN support and 6 (6.4%) 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.
Staffing
Shillington Lower School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 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 Shillington Lower School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hillfoot End (s-bound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Shillington Lower School issued 1 suspension, 1 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
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 · 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
13.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
17.8
Avg class size
21.5
Infant (KS1)
19.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Shillington Lower School
Stondon Lower School newsletter 25.9.2026
25 Sep 2026
Stondon Lower School newsletter 11.09.2026
11 Sep 2026
coffee morning poster
Stondon Lower School open days 2026-27
October
February
From Shillington Lower School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Shillington Lower School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Shillington Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shillington 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Shillington Lower School
Will you get a place at Shillington Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Shillington Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Shillington Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Shillington 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 Shillington 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
55%
Available places
83 pupils
150 places
67 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hitchin
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hitchin
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
31.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
94
Total Pupils
47
Boys
47
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
13.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,417
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,513
Per pupil
£588k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
8.5%
Persistent absence
71
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Shillington Lower School
What is Shillington Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Shillington Lower School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2023.
What is the catchment area for Shillington Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Shillington 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 Shillington Lower School?
Shillington Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 55% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at Shillington Lower School?
Classes at Shillington Lower School average 17.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Shillington Lower School?
Shillington Lower School has around 94 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Shillington Lower School?
6.9% of sessions were missed at Shillington Lower School in 2024/25. 8.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shillington Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Shillington 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 Shillington Lower School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Shillington Lower School?
Shillington Lower School is at Greenfields, Shillington, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 3NX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)