Studham Village CofE Academy

Studham Village CofE Academy is a small primary academy within the Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust. This was its first section 5 inspection; the school was previously judged outstanding as a church school before converting to academy status, and under the current framework no overall effectiveness grade is awarded. Inspectors found the school performing strongly, with behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all outstanding, and quality of education good. The school has a warm, respectful culture and high expectations. Pupils behave exceptionally well, work hard and take pride in their learning. The curriculum is carefully designed, pupils with SEND make strong progress, reading and phonics are taught well, and the early years provision is nurturing and highly skilled. Personal development is rich, attendance is very high, and trustees and leaders have an accurate view of the school and manage staff workload well. Safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is spelling in independent writing. Some younger pupils have strong phonics knowledge but do not consistently apply it to their spelling when writing, so their writing is not as accurate as it could be. The school should continue implementing planned training so all staff help pupils apply their phonic knowledge consistently and accurately when writing.

Strengths

• Warm, respectful and inclusive culture with strong relationships across the school.
• Pupils behave exceptionally well and meet high expectations consistently.
• Well-designed curriculum builds knowledge effectively and pupils remember much of what they are taught.
• Pupils with SEND receive well-tailored support and make strong progress.
• Strong phonics and reading teaching helps pupils become fluent and confident readers.
• Rich personal development programme, including forest school, allotment work, leadership roles and performances.
• Nurturing early years provision with skilled adults who know children well.
• Very high attendance, with swift action when attendance begins to drop.
• Strategic and accurate leadership from trustees and the local governing body, with strong staff training and workload management.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Some younger pupils do not consistently apply their phonics knowledge to spelling when writing independently, so their writing is not as accurate as it could be.

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 Studham Village CofE Academy attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.8% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Studham Village CofE 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 Studham Village CofE Academy had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% 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, 4.6% of pupils at Studham Village CofE Academy 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 2024–25 Studham Village CofE Academy received £6,686 and spent £8,313 for each of its 87 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £36,000 (£416 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,648 and spending £7,542 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 Central Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

Studham Village CofE Academy is part of Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Kensworth Church of England Academy Dunstable
• Manshead Church of England Academy Luton
• Totternhoe Church of England Academy Dunstable
• Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy Dunstable
• Wenlock CofE Academy Luton
• St Leonards CE Academy Leighton Buzzard
• Caldecote Church of England Academy Biggleswade
• Northill CofE Academy Biggleswade
• St James' CofE Academy Bedford
• Churchfield Church of England Academy Waltham Cross

What is Studham Village CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Studham Village CofE Academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was Studham Village CofE Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Studham Village CofE Academy was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does Studham Village CofE Academy have?

Studham Village CofE Academy has 87 pupils on roll.

What age range does Studham Village CofE Academy cover?

Studham Village CofE Academy for pupils aged 2 to 9.

Where is Studham Village CofE Academy?

Studham Village CofE Academy is at Church Road, Studham, Bedfordshire, LU6 2QD.