Dunstable Icknield Lower School
Dunstable Icknield Lower School is an academy converter in Dunstable for pupils aged 3 to 9. It has 295 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Dunstable Icknield Lower School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in November 2023 of its predecessor, Dunstable Icknield Lower School. Many teachers don't stay: 47% of its teachers had left the school a year later (in 2024/25), against 16% nationally.
Ofsted inspection: November 2024.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 3-9 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Burr Street Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 3AG |
| Reference Number | 151210 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 295 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 48.81%
Girls: 51.19% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 16.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 52.2% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 26.5 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 26.3 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 27 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 30 | 52 |
| 2 | 20 | 30 | 50 |
| 3 | 20 | 31 | 51 |
| 4 | 30 | 27 | 57 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 35.6% |
| White, Other | 20.7% |
| Indian | 9.2% |
| African | 7.1% |
| Asian, Other | 4.7% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 4.4% |
| Pakistani | 3.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 3.1% |
| White & Asian | 2.4% |
| White & Black (African) | 2% |
| Unclassified | 1% |
| Caribbean | 0.7% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Dunstable Icknield Lower School, inspected in November 2023.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Requires Improvement |
| Last Report Date | This school has not had an inspection yet. |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 07 Nov 2024 | Academy conversion letter |
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 32 | 3 |
| Third Preference | 22 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 1 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Dunstable Icknield Lower School had 271 pupils for 300 places. 29 places (9.7%) were unfilled.
Reception intake in the “Dunstable and Houghton Regis Primary” planning area
Central Bedfordshire counted 968 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 817 in 2029–30, down 16%.
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 Dunstable Icknield Lower School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.9% |
| Unauthorised absence | 2.0% |
| Severely absent pupils | 1.6% |
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, 3.8% of pupils at Dunstable Icknield Lower School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 12.5 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
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 Dunstable Icknield Lower School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 46.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 6.8 | 10.5 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 2.7% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 76.5% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 8.3 | – |
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, 21.0% of pupils at Dunstable Icknield Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 18 | 7 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 12 | 2 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 12 | 1 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 7 | 5 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 9 | 0 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 3 | 0 |
| Down's syndrome | 0 | 1 |
| Physical disability | 1 | 0 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Ashton St Peter's VA C of E School
Leighton Court, Ashton St. Peters Primary School, Leighton Court, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1EW |
0.21 miles |
|
Watling Lower School
Bull Pond Lane, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3BJ |
0.4 miles |
|
Lark Rise Academy
Cartmel Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3PT |
0.61 miles |
|
Beecroft Academy
Westfield Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1DW |
0.63 miles |
|
Westfield Nursery School
Westfield Road, Dunstable, LU6 1DL |
0.64 miles |
|
Ardley Hill Academy
Lowther Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3NZ |
0.66 miles |
|
Lancot School
Lancot Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 2AP |
0.7 miles |
|
St. Augustine's Academy
Oakwood Avenue, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4AS |
0.99 miles |
|
Hadrian Academy
Hadrian Avenue, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4SR |
1.13 miles |
|
Willow Nursery School
Goldstone Crescent, Dunstable, LU5 4QU |
1.13 miles |
|
The Vale Academy
Wilbury Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4QP |
1.23 miles |
|
Houghton Regis Primary School
St Michael's Avenue, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5DH |
1.35 miles |
|
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Dunstable Road, Caddington, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 4BB |
1.41 miles |
|
Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy
Angels Lane, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5HH |
1.51 miles |
|
St Christophers Academy
Gorham Way, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4NJ |
1.53 miles |
|
Totternhoe Church of England Academy
Church Road, Totternhoe, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1RE |
1.68 miles |
|
St Vincent's Catholic Primary School
Hammersmith Gardens, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5RG |
1.73 miles |
|
Chantry Primary Academy
Tomlinson Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 0QP |
1.81 miles |
|
Tithe Farm Primary School
Tithe Farm Road, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5JB |
1.85 miles |
|
Southfield Primary Academy
Pastures Way, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 0PE |
2 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Queensbury Academy
Langdale Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3BU |
0.42 miles |
|
Priory Academy
Priory Academy, Britain Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4JA |
0.44 miles |
|
Weatherfield Academy
Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1AF |
0.78 miles |
|
All Saints Academy Dunstable
Houghton Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5AB |
0.85 miles |
|
Stannard School
Ridgeway Avenue, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4QL |
1 miles |
|
Manshead Church of England Academy
Dunstable Road, Caddington, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 4BB |
1.41 miles |
|
The Chalk Hills Academy
Leagrave High St, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 0NE |
1.78 miles |
|
Houstone School
Parkside Drive, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 5PX |
2.32 miles |
|
The Chiltern School
Parkside Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5PX |
2.36 miles |
|
Challney High School for Boys
Stoneygate Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 9TJ |
2.59 miles |
|
Al Hikmah Boys School
145 High Street, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 9LE |
2.64 miles |
|
King's House Moorlands
King's House, High Street Leagrave, Luton, LU4 9JY |
2.65 miles |
|
Challney High School for Girls
Addington Way, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 9FJ |
2.65 miles |
|
Lealands High School
Sundon Park Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3AL |
3.38 miles |
|
Jamiatul Uloom Al - Islamia
364 - 370 Leagrave Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 1RF |
3.79 miles |
|
Woodlands Secondary School
Northwell Drive, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3SP |
3.95 miles |
|
Active Support Education Centre
Unit 1 Britannia Estates, Leagrave Road, Luton, Beds, LU3 1RJ |
3.96 miles |
|
The Stockwood Park Academy
Rotheram Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 5PP |
3.96 miles |
|
Lea Manor High School
Northwell Drive, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3TL |
4.03 miles |
|
Bury Park Educational Institute (Al - Hikmah Secondary School)
82 - 86 Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 1EH |
4.22 miles |
All schools in Dunstable · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications
Dunstable Icknield Lower School is part of Scholars' Education Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:
- Watling Lower School Dunstable
- Priory Academy Dunstable
- Harpenden Academy Harpenden
- Sir John Lawes School Harpenden
- Oakleaf Primary Hemel Hempstead
- The Hemel Hempstead School Hemel Hempstead
- Longdean School Hemel Hempstead
- The Highfield School Letchworth Garden City
- Samuel Ryder Academy St Albans
- Buntingford First School Buntingford
What is Dunstable Icknield Lower School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Dunstable Icknield Lower School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in November 2023 of its predecessor, Dunstable Icknield Lower School.
When was Dunstable Icknield Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?
Dunstable Icknield Lower School was last inspected in November 2024.
How many pupils does Dunstable Icknield Lower School have?
Dunstable Icknield Lower School has 295 pupils on roll.
What age range does Dunstable Icknield Lower School cover?
Dunstable Icknield Lower School for pupils aged 3 to 9.
Where is Dunstable Icknield Lower School?
Dunstable Icknield Lower School is at Burr Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 3AG.