Stanbridge Lower School, Leighton Buzzard
Stanbridge Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Leighton Buzzard. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022. It was 85% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Stanbridge Lower School in detail
Stanbridge Lower School in its own words
In its own words: "Our school has been located in Stanbridge since the late 19th century. As you tour our school you will notice both old and new parts to the building. Over the years new extensions and renovations have taken place, but our school still retains its historical feel throughout the building."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis, yoga, STEM and forest school.
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Stanbridge Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Stanbridge Lower School as their first choice and 44 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Stanbridge Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Stanbridge Lower School are Hockliffe Lower School (1.7 miles); Beaudesert Lower School (2 miles, Good); Leedon Lower School (2.1 miles, Requires improvement); and Eaton Bray Academy (2.2 miles, Good, 59% reading, 44% maths).
Hockliffe Lower SchoolBeaudesert Lower SchoolLeedon Lower SchoolEaton Bray Academy
Who goes there
5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 10 pupils (8.3%) received SEN support and 5 (4.2%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Staffing
Stanbridge Lower School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 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 Stanbridge Lower School.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stanbridge Lower School (outside), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Stanbridge Lower School issued 3 suspensions, 2.3 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
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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
5.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
20.2
Avg class size
21.7
Infant (KS1)
18.5
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Stanbridge Lower School
Celebrating Black life Across Britain
1 Oct 2026
Back to school Forest Fun!
19 Sep 2026
Our teachers achieve great things too!
19 Sep 2026
Y1 & 2 Trip to Wendover Woods
20 Jul 2026
Y4 Paramedic Visit & First Aid Training
20 Jul 2026
Musical Challenge for our Pianists
20 Jul 2026
From Stanbridge Lower School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Stanbridge Lower School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Stanbridge Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stanbridge 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
- 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.
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 Stanbridge Lower School
Will you get a place at Stanbridge Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Stanbridge Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Stanbridge Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Stanbridge 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 Stanbridge 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
85%
Available places
102 pupils
120 places
18 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
12.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
120
Total Pupils
72
Boys
48
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,017
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,286
Per pupil
£769k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.3%
Overall absence
16.3%
Persistent absence
86
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Stanbridge Lower School
What is Stanbridge Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Stanbridge Lower School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022.
What is the catchment area for Stanbridge Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Stanbridge 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 Stanbridge Lower School?
Stanbridge Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 120 places.
How big are the classes at Stanbridge Lower School?
Classes at Stanbridge Lower School average 20.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Stanbridge Lower School?
Stanbridge Lower School has around 120 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Stanbridge Lower School?
6.3% of sessions were missed at Stanbridge Lower School in 2024/25. 16.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Stanbridge Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Stanbridge 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 Stanbridge Lower School?
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. 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 Stanbridge Lower School?
Stanbridge Lower School is at Tilsworth Road, Stanbridge, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 9HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)