Southfield Primary Academy

Southfield Primary Academy is performing well overall, rated as good in all key areas except for personal development, where it excels and is rated outstanding. The school has strong relationships between staff and pupils, fostering a happy and safe environment. There is a rich curriculum in place, with effective teaching of reading and a supportive atmosphere for pupils, particularly those with special educational needs. As the first inspection for this Academy since it converted in 2019, the school has demonstrated notable progress and high aspirations for its pupils.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Rich and varied curriculum
• Effective strategies for reading instruction
• Supportive environment for pupils with special educational needs
• Outstanding personal development opportunities
• Well-planned early years provision
• Ambitious extra-curricular activities

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have unclear progression in knowledge
• Inconsistent teacher knowledge in delivering the curriculum

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 Southfield Primary Academy attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.8% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Southfield Primary Academy 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 Southfield Primary Academy had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.6% 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, 23.7% of pupils at Southfield Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.7% 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 2024–25 Southfield Primary Academy received £6,654 and spent £6,567 for each of its 420 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £218,000 (£519 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Pioneer Learning Trust, income was £6,136 and spending £6,050 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Luton · Luton local authority: places and applications

Southfield Primary Academy is part of Pioneer Learning Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Chantry Primary Academy Luton
• Ferrars Junior School Luton
• The Ferrars Academy Luton
• Whitefield Primary Academy Luton
• Warden Hill Infant Academy Luton
• Lakeview School Bedford

What is Southfield Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southfield Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Southfield Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Southfield Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Southfield Primary Academy have?

Southfield Primary Academy has 405 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southfield Primary Academy cover?

Southfield Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Southfield Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Southfield Primary Academy?

Southfield Primary Academy is at Pastures Way, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 0PE.