Shefford Lower School

Shefford Lower School has demonstrated that it continues to operate as a good school, evident through the positive attitudes of pupils who enjoy learning and feel safe. The school fosters a strong culture of values and community, which enhances pupils' well-being and prepares them well for future education. With a well-sequenced curriculum that promotes rich learning experiences and strong relationships between staff and pupils, the school provides an engaging environment where children thrive. However, as the school prepares to expand and serve older students, ongoing efforts are required to refine their curriculum and improve assessment practices in certain subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy coming to school and demonstrate eagerness to learn.
• The school cultivates a strong focus on values, fostering cooperation and sharing.
• High-quality curriculum develops pupils' knowledge progressively.
• Reading is prioritized, leading to fluency by the end of Year 1.
• Support for pupils with SEND is well-structured and effective.
• Strong relationships exist between pupils and staff, contributing to a positive learning environment.
• Pupils are involved in a variety of enrichment activities that enhance their development.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment practices are less developed in a few subjects, hindering precise feedback for pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Shefford Lower School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.2% of pupils at Shefford Lower School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Shefford Lower School had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 21.8% of pupils at Shefford Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 11 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Shefford Lower School received £7,098 and spent £7,027 for each of its 493 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £413,000 (£838 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Central Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Shefford Lower School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shefford Lower School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Shefford Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shefford Lower School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Shefford Lower School have?

Shefford Lower School has 514 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shefford Lower School cover?

Shefford Lower School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Shefford Lower School?

Shefford Lower School is at School Lane, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5XA.