Southill Lower School, Biggleswade

Good
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 39

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.6km)Possible (~2.3km)Unlikely (~2.9km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Samantha Barlow
Pupils:78 / 75 capacity
LA:Central Bedfordshire
Phone:01462813312
Address:School Lane, Southill, Biggleswade, SG18 9JA
Federation:Derwent and Southill Federation
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 10 months ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Requires Improvement

Early Years

Inspected 18 November 2025View full report
URN:109481
UKPRN:10077781
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:North Bedfordshire
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school creates a warm, welcoming environment where children quickly settle and develop genuine enthusiasm for learning. With excellent behaviour, strong attendance and above-average achievement in reading and maths, pupils receive tailored support to succeed. The school is particularly strong at including all learners - those with additional needs and disadvantaged pupils thrive alongside their peers through carefully planned support and high expectations.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve above national averages in phonics screening and multiplication checks with swift support to close learning gaps
  • Consistently high attendance and impeccable behaviour with pupils showing self-discipline and respect for themselves and others
  • Highly inclusive culture with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils who achieve well
  • Rich personal development programme focusing on positive relationships, mental health, British values and cultural diversity
  • Strong federation partnership maximising professional learning opportunities and managing staff workload

Areas for Improvement

  • Some children in early years who engage less readily with others do not consistently receive frequent, high-quality adult interactions to strengthen their learning and language skills

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met with leaders establishing an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, keeping pupils safe.

Extracurricular Activities

School trips, Black History Month events, visits from people of different faiths, sports events, outdoor activities, school council, playtime ambassadors, lunchtime club for service children

Southill Lower School is a welcoming and nurturing school where pupils achieve well and develop strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders have created a highly inclusive culture with excellent attendance, behaviour and personal development opportunities.

At a Glance

16.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

23.3

Avg class size

3

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

White Horse (o/s)
343m · 6 min walk
Stanford Road (adj)
591m · 10 min walk
Memorial (adj)
643m · 10 min walk
The Green Man (adj)
1.4km · 22 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

104%

Over capacity

78 pupils

75 capacity

3 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Biggleswade

Low pressure
New homes approved:930
Projected new pupils:233

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Biggleswade

Admissions Demand - Central Bedfordshire

Low demand0.86x oversubscription

Places available

4,163

Applications

3,574

Got 1st preference

90.0%

Got preferred school

97.0%

Primary admissions across Central Bedfordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

18 November 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsRequires Improvement
1 July 2021
13 October 2020

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.85914%

Overall absence

8.33333%

Persistent absence

48

Enrolments

Authorised2.8929%
Unauthorised0.96624%
Persistent (10%+)8.33333%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

3.64835%
18/19
2.16399%
20/21
7.01101%
21/22
5.04816%
22/23
5.75185%
23/24
3.85914%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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