The Mary Bassett Lower School
Bassett Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1AR
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Ms Hilary Wheeldon
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 378
- URN
- 109508
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01525373017
About this school
The Mary Bassett Lower School is a community primary school in Leighton Buzzard. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 378 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Mary Bassett Lower School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person 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
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How The Mary Bassett 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 | 6.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 363 |
| 2023/24 | 353 |
| 2024/25 | 383 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How The Mary Bassett Lower School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 36% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 6.1% | 17.4% | 378 | — |
| Pulford CofE VA Lower School | — | 3% | 4.5% | 259 | 0.3 miles |
| The Rushmere Park Academy | — | 6.1% | 29.8% | 207 | 0.5 miles |
| Clipstone Brook Lower School | — | 5.6% | 12.3% | 306 | 0.6 miles |
| Linslade Lower School | — | 2.7% | 3.3% | 181 | 0.6 miles |
| Southcott Lower School | — | 3.5% | 3.7% | 312 | 0.8 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
- 22 May 2024
-
Ungraded inspection report14 March 2023
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 17.44%
- English as an additional language
- 19.3%
- Overall absence
- 6.14%
- Persistent absence
- 19.66%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Pulford CofE VA Lower School0.3 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
The Rushmere Park Academy0.5 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
Clipstone Brook Lower School0.6 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
Linslade Lower School0.6 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
Southcott Lower School0.8 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
Other schools in Leighton Buzzard
- Beaudesert Lower School Primary
- Brookmead School Primary
- Clipstone Brook Lower School Primary
- Dovery Academy Primary
- Greenleas School Primary
- Heathwood Lower School Primary
- Hockliffe Lower School Primary
- Leedon Lower School Primary
- Linslade Lower School Primary
- Pulford CofE VA Lower School Primary
- Southcott Lower School Primary
- St Leonards CE Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Mary Bassett Lower School teach?
- The Mary Bassett Lower School teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Leighton Buzzard.
- Who is the headteacher of The Mary Bassett Lower School?
- The headteacher of The Mary Bassett Lower School is Ms Hilary Wheeldon, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Mary Bassett Lower School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Mary Bassett 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 many pupils are at The Mary Bassett Lower School?
- The Mary Bassett Lower School has 378 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is The Mary Bassett Lower School full?
- The Mary Bassett Lower School has capacity for 420 pupils and 378 on roll (90%), 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 The Mary Bassett Lower School a faith school?
- No. The Mary Bassett Lower School has no designated religious character.
- Does The Mary Bassett Lower School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records The Mary Bassett Lower School as having nursery classes.
- What is The Mary Bassett Lower School's absence rate?
- The Mary Bassett Lower School's overall absence rate is 6.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does The Mary Bassett 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 The Mary Bassett 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.