The Firs Lower School, Bedford
The Firs Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Bedford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 93% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- 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
The Firs Lower School in detail
The Firs Lower School in its own words
In its own words: "Of central importance to us is the aspiration that all our children achieve the very best they are capable of, coupled with a belief in the benefits of mutual co-operation and team work, for everyone in our community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, swimming, multi-sports, running, dance, choir, guitar, chess and Lego.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:50am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at The Firs Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 43 families put The Firs Lower School as their first choice and 129 named it as one of their preferences, for 48 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 The Firs Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Firs Lower School are Russell Lower School (0.3 miles, Good); Templefield Lower School (1.5 miles, Good); Kingsmoor Lower School (1.6 miles, Good); and Maulden Lower School (1.7 miles, Good).
Russell Lower SchoolTemplefield Lower SchoolKingsmoor Lower SchoolMaulden Lower School
Who goes there
4% 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 (85%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 19 pupils (5.4%) received SEN support and 10 (2.9%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Flitwick Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alameda Middle School (outside), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Firs Lower School issued 6 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Firs Lower School are Alameda Middle School (0.1 miles), Redborne Upper School and Community College (0.5 miles) and Woodland Middle School Academy (1.6 miles).
Alameda Middle SchoolRedborne Upper School and Community CollegeWoodland Middle School 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); 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 November 2013, 12 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 November 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
4.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
27.5
Avg class size
29.4
Infant (KS1)
24.8
KS2
10
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Firs Lower School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Firs Lower School.
- Ampthill Kids Holiday CampsAt the school · Not yet graded
- Premier - Russell Lower620m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Firs Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Firs 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
4 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 The Firs Lower School
Will you get a place at The Firs Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Firs Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Firs Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Firs 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 The Firs 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
93%
Near capacity
280 pupils
300 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bedford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bedford
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
8.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
350
Total Pupils
180
Boys
170
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
23.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,098
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1469k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
7.0%
Persistent absence
230
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
The Firs Lower School
Questions parents ask about The Firs Lower School
What is The Firs Lower School's Ofsted rating?
The Firs Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Firs Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When The Firs 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 The Firs Lower School?
The Firs Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 300 places.
How big are the classes at The Firs Lower School?
Classes at The Firs Lower School average 27.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Firs Lower School?
The Firs Lower School has around 350 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Firs Lower School?
4% of sessions were missed at The Firs Lower School in 2024/25. 7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Firs Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Firs 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 The Firs Lower School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Ampthill Kids Holiday Camps (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Firs Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 4 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 The Firs Lower School?
The Firs Lower School is at Station Road, Ampthill, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK45 2QR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)