Shillington Lower School
Greenfields, Shillington, Hitchin, SG5 3NX
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Flack
- Federation
- Shillington and Stondon Federation
- Constituency
- Mid Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 150
- Pupils on roll
- 94
- URN
- 109480
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01462711637
About this school
Shillington Lower School is a community primary school in Hitchin. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 94 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Shillington Lower School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 137 |
| 2023/24 | 126 |
| 2024/25 | 104 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Shillington Lower School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 26% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 6.9% | 8.4% | 94 | — |
| Gravenhurst Academy | — | 7.1% | 12.5% | 72 | 1.1 miles |
| Meppershall Church of England Academy | 30% | 7.5% | 18% | 238 | 1.4 miles |
| Stondon Lower School | — | 4% | 8.6% | 136 | 1.9 miles |
| Pirton School | 65% | 4.4% | 17.8% | 136 | 2.2 miles |
| Campton Academy | — | 3.4% | 4.6% | 128 | 2.3 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 3 July 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report20 July 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 8.43%
- English as an additional language
- 1.9%
- Overall absence
- 6.9%
- Persistent absence
- 8.45%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Gravenhurst Academy1.1 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Meppershall Church of England Academy1.4 miles
Primary · Shefford
-
Stondon Lower School1.9 miles
Primary · Henlow
-
Pirton School2.2 miles
Primary · Hitchin
-
Campton Academy2.3 miles
Primary · Shefford
Other schools in Hitchin
- Breachwood Green Junior Mixed and Infant School Primary
- Codicote Church of England Primary School Primary
- Graveley Primary School Primary
- Highbury Infant School and Nursery Primary
- Highover Junior Mixed and Infant School Primary
- Ickleford Primary School Primary
- Kimpton Primary School Primary
- Mary Exton Primary School Primary
- Offley Endowed Primary School and Nursery Primary
- Oughton Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Our Lady Catholic Primary School Primary
- Pirton School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Shillington Lower School teach?
- Shillington Lower School teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Hitchin.
- Who is the headteacher of Shillington Lower School?
- The headteacher of Shillington Lower School is Mrs Sarah Flack, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Shillington Lower School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Shillington Lower School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Shillington Lower School?
- Shillington Lower School has 94 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is Shillington Lower School full?
- Shillington Lower School has capacity for 150 pupils and 94 on roll (63%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Shillington Lower School a faith school?
- No. Shillington Lower School has no designated religious character.
- Does Shillington Lower School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Shillington Lower School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs Shillington Lower School?
- Shillington Lower School is part of the Shillington and Stondon Federation federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Shillington Lower School's absence rate?
- Shillington Lower School's overall absence rate is 6.9% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Shillington Lower School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Shillington Lower School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.