Woburn Lower School

Woburn Lower School is performing well, achieving a good overall effectiveness rating. The school has not been inspected for over a decade, since its previous outstanding grade, and this inspection reflects a return to routine evaluations under the current framework. Pupils at the school exhibit a strong sense of pride and enthusiasm for learning, which is supported by strong relationships with staff and a safe environment. The school's curriculum is ambitious and designed to meet the needs of its mixed-age classes, particularly excelling in English and mathematics. While there are notable strengths in behavior and attitudes, as well as in personal development, some subjects within the curriculum lack clarity in their planning. This has resulted in inconsistent learning outcomes for pupils in those areas. However, the school has a robust system in place to support pupils with special educational needs, ensuring they have access to the same curriculum as their peers. Overall, the school is well-regarded by families and teachers, with strong community links enhancing the learning experience.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupil behavior and attitudes
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Effective early reading and phonics program
• Robust support for pupils with special educational needs
• Extensive personal development program with varied extracurricular activities
• Positive involvement with the local community

Areas for Improvement

• Lack of precision in curriculum planning for a small number of subjects

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 Woburn Lower School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.2% 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 Woburn 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 Woburn Lower School had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.4% 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, 18.5% of pupils at Woburn Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% 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 Woburn Lower School received £9,429 and spent £10,167 for each of its 62 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £39,000 (-£636 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 Woburn Lower School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woburn Lower School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Woburn Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Woburn Lower School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Woburn Lower School have?

Woburn Lower School has 65 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woburn Lower School cover?

Woburn Lower School for pupils aged 4 to 9.

Where is Woburn Lower School?

Woburn Lower School is at Bedford Street, Woburn, Bedfordshire, MK17 9QL.