Clipstone Brook Lower School

Clipstone Brook Lower School is performing well, with an overall effectiveness rated as good. The leadership team, including newly appointed leaders, is committed to improving teaching quality and ensuring that all pupils achieve their full potential. The school's focus on reading, writing, and mathematics has led to improvements in pupil achievement. Additionally, the inclusive environment allows all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to feel valued and supported in their learning journey.

Strengths

• Pupils are friendly, well-mannered, and enjoy a positive learning environment.
• Effective planning in reading, writing, and mathematics helps pupils learn and retain knowledge.
• Pupils feel safe and supported, contributing to a happy school atmosphere.
• Leaders and staff are focused on continuous improvement in teaching practices.
• Attendance has improved, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to thrive in school.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching in history and geography is not as effective as in core subjects.
• Curriculum adaptations for the most disadvantaged and most able pupils are needed in other subjects.
• Assessments for foundation subjects require further development to enhance teaching effectiveness.

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 Clipstone Brook Lower School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.1% 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, 2.0% of pupils at Clipstone Brook 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 Clipstone Brook Lower School had 21.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.0% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Clipstone Brook Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Clipstone Brook Lower School received £6,203 and spent £5,747 for each of its 301 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £140,000 (£466 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 Clipstone Brook Lower School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Clipstone Brook Lower School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Clipstone Brook Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Clipstone Brook Lower School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Clipstone Brook Lower School have?

Clipstone Brook Lower School has 306 pupils on roll.

What age range does Clipstone Brook Lower School cover?

Clipstone Brook Lower School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Clipstone Brook Lower School?

Clipstone Brook Lower School is at Brooklands Drive, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 3PG.