The Meads Primary School, Luton
The Meads Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Luton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 41 schools in Luton with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was 80% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Luton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Meads Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at The Meads Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 79% in Luton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 85% in reading and 83% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at The Meads Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 59 families put The Meads Primary School as their first choice and 125 named it as one of their preferences, for 68 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 Meads Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Meads Primary School are Waulud Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 80% maths); Icknield Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 88% maths); Norton Road Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 65% reading, 56% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles).
The Meads Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Waulud Primary SchoolIcknield Primary SchoolNorton Road Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
58.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (45%), White British (19%) and Mixed (11%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 1080 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Thelby Close (opposite), 140 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
The Meads Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Meads Primary School are Lea Manor High School (0.6 miles), Icknield High School (0.8 miles), Lealands High School (1.2 miles) and Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College (1.2 miles).
Lea Manor High SchoolIcknield High SchoolLealands High SchoolCardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2014, 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils enjoy being part of this close-knit community school. The whole school lives by its core values of respect, responsibility, resilience, kindness and joy. Being part of the school helps pupils to learn about living in modern-day Britain. Pupils are well prepared for their futures and their transition to secondary school.
Pupils learn a curriculum that is ambitious for all. Pupils benefit from particular areas of strength, such as reading and music. They respond well to focus areas for improvement. For example, this year has seen a vast improvement in the quality of handwriting pupils produce.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum. What pupils should learn, and the order in which they should learn it, have been carefully considered. This means learning builds on what pupils can remember so that they gain more knowledge over time. Children in the early years learn a curriculum that ensures they are well prepared for key stage 1. Teachers focus on developing pupils' spoken language across the curriculum. As a result, pupils can express themselves fluently in a range of contexts. However, some teachers' expectations of pupils' writing are not as high as they should be. Pupils do not always get the opportunities to develop their writing skills fully. Similarly, some disadvantaged pupils do not always achieve as highly as their peers in writing and mathematics. Consequently, some pupils do not make the progress needed to enable them to reach the highest standards they could in these areas.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
29.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 85% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 83% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 75% to 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
26.4
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
19
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Meads Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Meads Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Meads Primary School is in Luton; for families living there:
- Luton's school travel policy: Travel assistance policy for 0 to 25 year olds in education
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
5 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 Luton is 28 (the median across 79 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 Meads Primary School
Will you get a place at The Meads Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Meads Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Meads Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Meads Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Luton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Meads Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Luton 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
80%
Available places
505 pupils
630 places
125 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Luton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Luton
Across Luton council
Places available
3,222
Applications
2,863
Got 1st preference
92.6%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Luton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
80
SEN Support
25
EHC Plans
20.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
513
Total Pupils
262
Boys
251
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
23.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,001
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,408
Per pupil
£3122k
Total funding
£218k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
13.8%
Persistent absence
491
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 The Meads Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Meads Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Meads Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is The Meads Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Meads Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Meads Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Meads Primary School is oversubscribed, Luton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Meads Primary School?
The Meads Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at The Meads Primary School?
Classes at The Meads Primary School average 27 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Meads Primary School?
The Meads Primary School has around 513 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Meads Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at The Meads Primary School in 2024/25. 13.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Meads Primary School?
Apply through Luton's coordinated admissions process, naming The Meads Primary 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 The Meads Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 5 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 Luton is 28 (the median across 79 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Meads Primary School?
The Meads Primary School is at Sawtry Close, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 2UE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)