Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 22 Nov 2017
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 109479.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 514 |
| Girls | 240 |
| Boys | 274 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 13.4% |
| First language not English | 2.1% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 450 |
| Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places. | 449 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 0.2% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 112 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 30 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 22.8 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 9.6 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 21.58 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 28.58 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 41.27 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 20 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 18 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 1 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 1 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day. | 90 |
| Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed. | 147 |
| First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 94 |
| First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 84 |
| Applications from another local authority (Reception) | 2 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | Central Bedfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 4.3%, better than England, similar to Central Bedfordshire | 4.8% | 5.1% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 9%, better than England, better than Central Bedfordshire | 11.5% | 13.2% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 0.8%, similar to England, similar to Central Bedfordshire | 1.1% | 1% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 2.5% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 1.2% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0% |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mi | Middle deemed secondary | Robert Bloomfield Academy | Academy converter | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 11 Feb 2025. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | Campton Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 21 Nov 2023. | |
| 1.1 mi | Secondary | Samuel Whitbread Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 31 Oct 2017. | |
| 1.6 mi | Primary | Meppershall Church of England Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 13 Mar 2024. | |
| 1.7 mi | Primary | Clifton All Saints Academy | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 7 Dec 2022. |
Shefford Lower School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 22 Nov 2017.
For Reception entry in 2026/27, Shefford Lower School made 90 offers from 147 applications (1.6 per offer), and 84 of 94 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
Shefford Lower School has 514 pupils aged 3 to 9.
Shefford Lower School had 450 school places in 2024/25.
At Shefford Lower School, there were 22.8 pupils per teacher in 2025/26.
In 2025/26, pupils at Shefford Lower School missed 4.3% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 9% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.