Schools in Dunstable
Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire · 33 schools
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
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.
Schools in Dunstable (33)
- Lark Rise Academy
Primary · Ages 3-11 · LU6 3PT
Ofsted: Outstanding (2013)KS2: 97% expected (2025)64% of first choices got in - Ashton St Peter's VA C of E School
Primary · Ages 5-11 · LU6 1EW
Ofsted: Good (2022)New report cardKS2: 77% expected (2025)90% of first choices got in - Edlesborough Primary Academy
Primary · Ages 2-11 · LU6 2HS
Ofsted: Good (2023)KS2: 86% expected (2025)81% of first choices got in - Houghton Regis Primary School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · LU5 5DH
Ofsted: Good (2019)KS2: 50% expected (2025)83% of first choices got in - Kensworth Church of England Academy
Primary · Ages 3-11 · LU6 3RH
Ofsted: Good (2022)New report cardKS2: 64% expected (2025) - Lancot School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · LU6 2AP
Ofsted: Good (2018)KS2: 69% expected (2025)98% of first choices got in - St Vincent's Catholic Primary School
Primary · Ages 2-11 · LU5 5RG
Ofsted: Good (2013)New report cardKS2: 87% expected (2025)75% of first choices got in - St. Augustine's Academy
Primary · Ages 4-11 · LU5 4AS
Ofsted: Good (2018)KS2: 46% expected (2025)96% of first choices got in - Thornhill Primary School
Primary · Ages 2-11 · LU5 5PE
Ofsted: Good (2011)KS2: 82% expected (2025)92% of first choices got in - Toddington St George Church of England School
Primary · Ages 3-9 · LU5 6AJ
Ofsted: Good (2022)73% of first choices got in - Totternhoe Church of England Academy
Primary · Ages 2-11 · LU6 1RE
Ofsted: Good (2013)New report cardKS2: 33% expected (2025) - Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy
Primary · Ages 2-11 · LU5 5HH
Ofsted: Requires Improvement (2023)KS2: 59% expected (2025) - All Saints Academy Dunstable
Secondary · Ages 11-18 · LU5 5AB
Ofsted: Inadequate (2022)Attainment 8: 35.7 (2026) - Dunstable Icknield Lower School
Primary · Ages 3-9 · LU6 3AG
Showing 20 of 33 schools
By type:Primary schools in Dunstable (22)Secondary schools in Dunstable (5)Special schools in Dunstable (3)Nursery schools in Dunstable (2)All-through schools in Dunstable (1)
33
22 primary · 5 secondary
12,360
94% capacity used
10
0 outstanding · 10 good
13,083
723 spare places
Ofsted Ratings
Best Schools in Dunstable
View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more
Best Schools in Bedfordshire
Compare all schools across the county
Area Performance (2026)
Attainment 8
35.7
GCSE Eng+Maths
35.8%
School Capacity & Demand
Housing Growth Detected
2,577 new homes approved nearby. This could generate an estimated +644 primary and +464 secondary pupils.
Source: MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years)
Primary Schools
96% occupied · 246 spare places
Secondary Schools
83% occupied · 808 spare places
Questions parents ask about schools in Dunstable
How many schools are there in Dunstable?
Dunstable has 33 open schools: 22 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 3 special and 2 others.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Which schools in Dunstable are rated Outstanding?
1 school in Dunstable was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Lark Rise Academy. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 30 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.
Source: Ofsted
Which secondary schools in Dunstable get the best GCSE results?
Of the 6 schools in Dunstable with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Houstone School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.7 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Harlington Upper School, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.1 and 46% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Priory Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 42 and 45% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.
Houstone SchoolHarlington Upper SchoolPriory Academy
Source: DfE school performance data
Which primary schools in Dunstable have the best SATs results?
Of the 19 primary schools in Dunstable with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Lark Rise Academy (98% in reading, 95% in maths); St Vincent's Catholic Primary School (93% in reading, 80% in maths); and Edlesborough Primary Academy (89% in reading, 82% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.
Lark Rise AcademySt Vincent's Catholic Primary SchoolEdlesborough Primary Academy
Source: DfE school performance data
Are there grammar schools in Dunstable?
No. None of the state secondary schools in Dunstable selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Do schools in Dunstable have catchment areas?
Most state schools in Dunstable have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.
How do I apply for a school place in Dunstable?
Apply to your council - Central Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.