Stondon Lower School, Henlow
Stondon Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 9 in Henlow. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. It was 94% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Stondon Lower School in detail
Getting a place at Stondon Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Stondon Lower School as their first choice and 65 named it as one of their preferences, for 21 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Stondon Lower School are Derwent Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 89% reading, 94% maths); Meppershall Church of England Academy (1.3 miles, Good, 63% reading, 44% maths); Shillington Lower School (1.9 miles, Good); and Pirton School (2.1 miles, Requires improvement, 75% reading, 70% maths).
Derwent Primary SchoolMeppershall Church of England AcademyShillington Lower SchoolPirton School
Who goes there
12.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (7%).
Staffing
Stondon Lower School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Arlesey Rail Station, about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Stondon Lower School (opposite), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 19 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Stondon Lower School issued 5 suspensions, 3.6 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 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 October 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
12.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
26.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Stondon Lower School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Stondon Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stondon 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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 Stondon Lower School
Will you get a place at Stondon Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Stondon Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Stondon Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Stondon 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 Stondon 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
94%
Near capacity
141 pupils
150 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Henlow
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Henlow
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
21
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
21.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
136
Total Pupils
75
Boys
61
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
15.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,924
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,447
Per pupil
£825k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
7.7%
Persistent absence
117
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Stondon Lower School
What is Stondon Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Stondon Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Stondon Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Stondon 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 Stondon Lower School?
Stondon Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 150 places.
How big are the classes at Stondon Lower School?
Classes at Stondon Lower School average 27.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Stondon Lower School?
Stondon Lower School has around 136 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Stondon Lower School?
4% of sessions were missed at Stondon Lower School in 2024/25. 7.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Stondon Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Stondon 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 Stondon Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Stondon Lower School?
Stondon Lower School is at Hillside Road, Lower Stondon, Henlow, Bedfordshire, SG16 6LQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)