Leighton Middle School

Leighton Middle School continues to perform at a good level, providing a nurturing and supportive environment where pupils thrive. Staff are attentive to the needs of students, fostering strong relationships that contribute to a culture of high expectations and mutual respect. The school's broad and ambitious curriculum effectively prepares pupils for their next educational phase, and students show enthusiasm and diligence in their learning, achieving well in assessments. Personal development is particularly strong, with a variety of leadership and extracurricular opportunities available to students, contributing to their overall enjoyment and engagement within the school community.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• High expectations and a respectful school culture
• Broad and ambitious curriculum effectively preparing pupils for upper school
• Skilled teaching that adapts to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND
• Positive attitudes and exemplary behaviour among pupils
• Effective support for reading development
• Comprehensive personal development and careers programme

Areas for Improvement

• Recent curriculum improvements need more time to become established

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 Leighton Middle School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 0.8% of pupils at Leighton Middle School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Leighton Middle School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 10.2% of pupils at Leighton Middle School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Leighton Middle School received £6,800 and spent £6,725 for each of its 597 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £450,000 (£754 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 Leighton Middle School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Leighton Middle School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Leighton Middle School last inspected by Ofsted?

Leighton Middle School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Leighton Middle School have?

Leighton Middle School has 597 pupils on roll.

What age range does Leighton Middle School cover?

Leighton Middle School for pupils aged 9 to 13.

What are Leighton Middle School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Leighton Middle School?

Leighton Middle School is at Church Square, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 1EX.