Pulford CofE VA Lower School
Pulford Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1ABOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Pulford CofE VA Lower School is a primary school in Leighton Buzzard for ages 2 to 9. It is one of the 134 schools in Central Bedfordshire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 7 November 2023, report published 17 December 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 7 November 2023
The school values of faith, hope and love permeate the school and underpin everything it does. Pupils see the school as a family that they are all part of. Anyone new to the school gets a warm welcome and quickly feels part of the 'family'. Pupils are kind and supportive towards each other. Pupils work hard to meet the staff's high expectations for them to achieve well. They enjoy explaining what they are doing and discussing this with each other and adults. Pupils thrive on people asking them questions about what they are doing so that they can explore their thinking even further. This enables pupils to make progress with their learning so that they are ready for middle school. Pupils regularly learn outdoors. This helps to develop their resilience, imagination and understanding of nature. The environment is important to pupils. They have an eco-council so they can explore how they can improve their school environment. Pupils can also take on roles such as faith leaders and school councillors, which helps them to develop their confidence and bring about changes within the school.
What the school should improve
- In a few subjects, the vocabulary and knowledge that pupils have previously been taught are not used by teachers. Therefore, teachers do not use accurate vocabulary and knowledge to help pupils to build effectively on their previous learning. The school must ensure that, in all subjects, the vocabulary and knowledge that pupils have previously learned are clearly identified so that teachers can ensure that pupils consolidate and build effectively on what they have learned previously.
Pupil numbers and mix
259 pupils on roll, with places for 255
Schools near Pulford CofE VA Lower School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leighton Middle School | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Good | 78% met the expected standard |
| The Mary Bassett Lower School | 0.3 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Clipstone Brook Lower School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Linslade School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 70% met the expected standard |
| The Rushmere Park Academy | 0.7 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr David Heather
- Phone
- 01525372188
- Address
- Pulford Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1AB
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- URN
- 109619
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.