Icknield Primary School

Icknield Primary School continues to demonstrate good performance, maintaining a positive atmosphere where pupils feel safe and engaged in their learning. The curriculum has been thoughtfully designed by leaders, and teachers provide effective instructional support that enables students to succeed academically. Notably, the school effectively includes deaf pupils, integrating them into school life and ensuring they receive tailored support alongside their peers. The commitment to diversity and inclusivity is evident in how students celebrate each other's backgrounds and experiences.

Strengths

• Students have a positive attitude towards learning and enjoy attending school.
• Effective curriculum design prepares pupils well for future education.
• Leaders ensure that staff receive high-quality professional development.
• Pupils with special educational needs are well supported.
• The school provides enriching opportunities for personal development.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching of spoken language in Reception impacting children's communication 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 Icknield Primary School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.4% 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 Icknield Primary 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 Icknield Primary School had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.5% 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, 9.3% of pupils at Icknield Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 13 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 Icknield Primary School received £6,843 and spent £7,319 for each of its 612 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £728,000 (-£1,190 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 Luton · Luton local authority: places and applications

What is Icknield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Icknield Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Icknield Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Icknield Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Icknield Primary School have?

Icknield Primary School has 612 pupils on roll.

What age range does Icknield Primary School cover?

Icknield Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Icknield Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Icknield Primary School?

Icknield Primary School is at Birdsfoot Lane, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 2JB.