Southcott Lower School, Leighton Buzzard
Southcott 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 June 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 92% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
Southcott Lower School in detail
Southcott Lower School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Southcott, please come and take a look at our lovely school. If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your interest in our school. Southcott is a two-form-entry lower school."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include art and French.
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and an open day on Thursday 19 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Central Bedfordshire
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Southcott Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 43 families put Southcott Lower School as their first choice and 115 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 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 Southcott Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Southcott Lower School are Linslade Lower School (0.2 miles, Good); Greenleas School (0.4 miles, Good); The Mary Bassett Lower School (0.8 miles, Good); and Pulford CofE VA Lower School (1 mile, Good).
Linslade Lower SchoolGreenleas SchoolThe Mary Bassett Lower SchoolPulford CofE VA Lower School
Who goes there
6.4% 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 (83%) and Mixed (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leighton Buzzard Rail Station, about 650 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Knaves Hill (opposite), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Southcott Lower School 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 87 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, Southcott Lower School issued 4 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Southcott Lower School are Leighton Middle School (0.9 miles), Linslade School (0.9 miles), Cedars Upper School (1 mile) and Gilbert Inglefield Academy (1.6 miles).
Leighton Middle SchoolLinslade SchoolCedars Upper SchoolGilbert Inglefield Academy
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
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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 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 June 2013 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
6.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
29.2
Infant (KS1)
27.5
KS2
10
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Southcott Lower School
Bulletin 5: 28th September - 2nd October - Autumn Term 1
2 Oct 2026
Bulletin 4: 21st - 25th September - Autumn Term 1
25 Sep 2026
Bulletin 3: 14th - 18th September - Autumn Term 1
18 Sep 2026
Bulletin 2: 7th - 11th September - Autumn Term 1
11 Sep 2026
Bulletin 1: 1st - 4th September - Autumn Term 1
4 Sep 2026
Final Bulletin 2026
17 Jul 2026
From Southcott Lower School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Southcott Lower School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Southcott Lower School.
- Kidz Zone Club - Southcott Lower SchAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Southcott Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Southcott 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 Southcott Lower School
Will you get a place at Southcott Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Southcott Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Southcott Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Southcott 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 Southcott 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
92%
Near capacity
277 pupils
300 places
23 spare places 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
14.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
312
Total Pupils
165
Boys
147
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
18.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,876
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,102
Per pupil
£1521k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
5.0%
Persistent absence
220
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 Southcott Lower School
What is Southcott Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Southcott Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Southcott Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Southcott 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 Southcott Lower School?
Southcott Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 300 places.
How big are the classes at Southcott Lower School?
Classes at Southcott Lower School average 28.5 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 Southcott Lower School?
Southcott Lower School has around 312 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Southcott Lower School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at Southcott Lower School in 2024/25. 5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Southcott Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Southcott 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.
Does Southcott Lower School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kidz Zone Club - Southcott Lower Sch (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 Southcott Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Southcott Lower School?
Southcott Lower School is at Bideford Green, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 2UA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)