Lavendon School

Ofsted found Lavendon School performing well across all inspected areas. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection; it converted to academy status in January 2024 and is part of Inspiring Futures Through Learning Academy Trust. No overall effectiveness grade is now awarded, but the report highlights a strong caring ethos, happy pupils and high expectations for all. Pupils behave well, feel safe and achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Reading is a particular strength, with expert phonics teaching and close matching of books to pupils’ sounds. The curriculum is well designed and sequenced from the early years, and pupils benefit from a broad range of trips, clubs and responsibility roles. Attendance is high and improving, personal development is strong, and safeguarding is effective. The main areas for improvement are that some staff do not yet have sufficient subject expertise, which limits the curriculum’s impact for a few pupils, and that tasks in a few subjects are not precise enough to help all pupils revisit and retain essential knowledge. Leaders are aware of this and are providing training to strengthen teaching further.

Strengths

• Calm, caring ethos with commendable pupil behaviour
• Pupils are very happy and feel safe, including online
• High expectations help all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve well
• Reading is prioritised and phonics is taught expertly
• Curriculum is well designed and logically sequenced from the early years
• Pupils with SEND achieve very well through prompt identification and skilful adaptation
• Pupils have positive attitudes and show respect for one another
• Attendance is high and improving through effective work with parents
• Personal development is strong, with responsibility roles, trips and clubs
• Leaders have driven successful improvement and are well supported by governors and trustees
• Staff workload and well-being are managed well
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff lack sufficient subject expertise, limiting curriculum impact for a few pupils
• Tasks in a few subjects are not precise enough to help all pupils retain key information
• A few pupils lack enough opportunities to revisit prior learning

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 Lavendon School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.3% 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 Lavendon 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 Lavendon School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 44.4% 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, 13.2% of pupils at Lavendon School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Lavendon School received £7,213 and spent £7,441 for each of its 150 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £85,000 (£566 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of Inspiring Futures Through Learning, income was £6,729 and spending £6,481 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 Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

Lavendon School is part of Inspiring Futures Through Learning, which runs 22 schools. The nearest others:

• Olney Middle School Olney
• Olney Infant Academy Olney
• Portfields Primary School Newport Pagnell
• Brooklands Farm Primary School Milton Keynes
• St Mary's Wavendon CofE Primary Milton Keynes
• Glebe Farm School Milton Keynes
• Heronshill School and Nursery Milton Keynes
• Heronshaw School Milton Keynes
• Heronsgate School Milton Keynes
• Two Mile Ash School Milton Keynes

What is Lavendon School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lavendon School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Lavendon School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lavendon School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Lavendon School have?

Lavendon School has 152 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lavendon School cover?

Lavendon School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Lavendon School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lavendon School?

Lavendon School is at High Street, Lavendon, Olney, Buckinghamshire, MK46 4HA.