Heathwood Lower School

Heathwood Lower School is recognized for maintaining a good standard of education. It creates a calm and supportive environment where pupils are happy and exhibit positive behavior. The school implements a well-structured curriculum that emphasizes high expectations, and pupils engage well in learning activities. The commitment to pastoral care is evident, fostering relationships among pupils and staff that contribute to a safe learning atmosphere. The active involvement of parents supports the school's strong community feel, although there are areas for development in the leadership of the curriculum and assessment practices in certain subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate positive behavior and show respect towards one another.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced, and ambitious, catering to various needs.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Teachers effectively promote a culture of reading and phonics.
• Leaders and staff provide high-quality pastoral support.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum leaders are not fully familiar with their new responsibilities.
• Ongoing development needed for assessment in foundation 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 Heathwood Lower School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.2% 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 Heathwood 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 Heathwood Lower School had 23.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Heathwood Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 2 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 Heathwood Lower School received £8,346 and spent £8,034 for each of its 184 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £267,000 (£1,453 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 Leighton Buzzard · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Heathwood Lower School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Heathwood Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Heathwood Lower School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Heathwood Lower School have?

Heathwood Lower School has 195 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heathwood Lower School cover?

Heathwood Lower School for pupils aged 2 to 9.

Where is Heathwood Lower School?

Heathwood Lower School is at Heath Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 3AU.