Southill Lower School

Southill Lower School is a small lower school within the Derwent and Southill Federation, and this full inspection followed a significant change in its leadership structure. Inspectors found the school performing strongly overall. Pupils achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils, and national test outcomes in phonics and the multiplication check are above average. Attendance and behaviour are strong: pupils are punctual, self-disciplined and respectful, and they trust staff to resolve concerns. The curriculum and teaching are well ordered and continually reviewed, with strong reading and writing foundations and effective adaptation for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Inclusion is a notable strength, with pupils with SEND fully included and highly effective support in place, while pastoral support and work with families are well coordinated. Leadership and governance are ambitious and strategic, and the federation partnership is used effectively to share expertise and manage workload. Personal development is rich, with trips, British values, cultural diversity and mental health support.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well, with phonics and multiplication check outcomes above national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve consistently well from their starting points.
• Attendance is strong, and leaders act swiftly when attendance declines.
• Pupils show impeccable behaviour and a deep understanding of respect.
• The curriculum and teaching are well ordered, continually reviewed and adapted to pupils' needs.
• Reading and writing foundations are strong, helping pupils become confident, fluent readers.
• Pupils with SEND receive highly effective support and learn alongside their peers.
• Leaders and governors are ambitious, strategic and use the federation partnership well.
• The personal development programme is rich, including trips, British values and mental health support.
• Early years children settle quickly and get off to a great start.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• In early years, some children who engage less readily with others do not consistently receive frequent, high-quality interactions to develop communication and language skills.

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 Southill Lower School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Southill 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 Southill Lower School had 13.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.0% 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, 9.0% of pupils at Southill Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 Southill Lower School received £9,314 and spent £8,549 for each of its 73 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £88,000 (£1,206 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 Biggleswade · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Southill Lower School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southill Lower School is Expected standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Southill Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Southill Lower School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Southill Lower School have?

Southill Lower School has 78 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southill Lower School cover?

Southill Lower School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Southill Lower School?

Southill Lower School is at School Lane, Southill, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9JA.