Watling Lower School, Dunstable
Watling Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Dunstable, part of Scholars' Education Trust. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place.
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Watling Lower School in detail
Watling Lower School in its own words
In its own words: "Through the exploration of these values, children will learn about other values that help underpin them. We expect children to show the values of the school everyday, but each month we have chosen a value and will set the children a challenge to live that value in a special way."
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Watling Lower School our aim is that all children are happy and healthy and make a great start to their educational life. Children can only thrive when they feel safe and secure in their environment."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Watling Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Watling Lower School as their first choice and 114 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Watling Lower School are Ardley Hill Academy (0.3 miles, Good, 71% reading, 69% maths); Dunstable Icknield Lower School (0.4 miles); Lark Rise Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 98% reading, 95% maths); and Ashton St Peter's VA C of E School (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths).
Ardley Hill AcademyDunstable Icknield Lower SchoolLark Rise AcademyAshton St Peter's VA C of E School
The trust
Watling Lower School is one of 13 schools run by Scholars' Education Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
7.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 12.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (67%), Asian (9%) and Mixed (9%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 3.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Langdale Road Shops (opposite), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 239 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47), as is usual near a town centre.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Watling Lower School are Priory Academy (0.3 miles), Queensbury Academy (0.4 miles), Manshead Church of England Academy (1 mile) and All Saints Academy Dunstable (1.2 miles).
Priory AcademyQueensbury AcademyManshead Church of England AcademyAll Saints Academy Dunstable
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
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
Watling Lower School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in June 2025. Before that, as Watling Lower School (URN 109499), it was rated Good in September 2015.
At a Glance
7.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
29.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Watling Lower School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Watling Lower School.
- Kidz Zone Club590m away · Not yet graded
- Dunstable Learning Centre800m away · Not yet graded
- Dunstable Kumon Centre800m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Watling Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Watling 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 18 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
6 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 Watling Lower School
Will you get a place at Watling Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Watling Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Watling Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Watling 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 Watling Lower School for 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
127%
Over capacity
190 pupils
150 places
40 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Dunstable
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dunstable
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
22.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
190
Total Pupils
91
Boys
99
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
23.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,591
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at Watling Lower School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 109499). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
5.1%
Overall absence
11.2%
Persistent absence
125
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 Watling Lower School
What is Watling Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Watling Lower School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in June 2025. Before that, as Watling Lower School (URN 109499), it was rated Good in September 2015.
What is the catchment area for Watling Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Watling Lower School is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How big are the classes at Watling Lower School?
Classes at Watling Lower School average 29.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Watling Lower School?
Watling Lower School has around 190 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Watling Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Watling 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 Watling Lower School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Watling Lower School: Kidz Zone Club (590m away, registered, not yet graded), Dunstable Learning Centre (800m away, registered, not yet graded) and Dunstable Kumon Centre (800m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Watling Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 18 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 6 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 Watling Lower School?
Watling Lower School is at Bull Pond Lane, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3BJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)