Fairfield Park Lower School

Fairfield Park Lower School has been rated as 'Good' overall, with notable strengths in behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, both of which received 'Outstanding' ratings. This is the first routine inspection since the school expanded and transitioned to operating over two sites. The previous inspection twelve years ago judged the school as 'Outstanding'. The school now effectively supports an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring they receive the necessary support to meet their specific needs. Pupils demonstrate high levels of respect, enjoy their learning, and engage positively in a broad curriculum that includes various extracurricular opportunities.

Strengths

• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes among pupils
• Strong personal development and celebration of diversity
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Pupils receive regular feedback on their learning
• High levels of mutual respect among pupils
• Strong emphasis on personal and character development
• Good start to school life for Nursery children

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent clarity of feedback on how to improve understanding, particularly in writing

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 Fairfield Park Lower School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.4% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Fairfield Park 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 Fairfield Park Lower School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.0% 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, 20.3% of pupils at Fairfield Park Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 Fairfield Park Lower School received £7,326 and spent £7,487 for each of its 469 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £186,000 (-£397 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 Fairfield Park Lower School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fairfield Park Lower School is Good, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was Fairfield Park Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Fairfield Park Lower School was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does Fairfield Park Lower School have?

Fairfield Park Lower School has 479 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fairfield Park Lower School cover?

Fairfield Park Lower School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Fairfield Park Lower School?

Fairfield Park Lower School is at Dickens Boulevard, Fairfield Park, Hertfordshire, SG5 4FD.