Silsoe CofE VC Lower School
Chestnut Avenue, Silsoe, Bedford, MK45 4GP
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Boyle
- Diocese
- Diocese of St Albans
- SEN provision
- SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Constituency
- Mid Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 300
- Pupils on roll
- 251
- URN
- 109605
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01525860247
About this school
Silsoe CofE VC Lower School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Bedford. It teaches children aged 4 to 9 and has 251 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. 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
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Silsoe CofE VC 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 | 5.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.5% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 269 |
| 2023/24 | 283 |
| 2024/25 | 278 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Silsoe CofE VC Lower School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 71% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 4.5% | 12.2% | 251 | — |
| Greenfield CofE VC Lower School | — | 4.9% | 6.4% | 145 | 1.5 miles |
| St Mary's VA CofE Lower School | — | 4% | 11.3% | 134 | 1.9 miles |
| Maulden Lower School | — | 6% | 10.7% | 166 | 2.1 miles |
| Gravenhurst Academy | — | 7.1% | 12.5% | 72 | 2.1 miles |
| Kingsmoor Lower School | — | 3.7% | 11.8% | 167 | 2.5 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.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 12.23%
- English as an additional language
- 1.4%
- Overall absence
- 4.54%
- Persistent absence
- 9.78%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Greenfield CofE VC Lower School1.5 miles
Primary · Greenfield
-
St Mary's VA CofE Lower School1.9 miles
Primary · Clophill
-
Maulden Lower School2.1 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Gravenhurst Academy2.1 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Kingsmoor Lower School2.5 miles
Primary · Bedford
Other schools in Bedford
- Balliol Primary School Primary
- Bedford Road Primary Academy Primary
- Brickhill Primary School Primary
- Broadmead Lower School Primary
- Bromham CofE Primary School Primary
- Camestone School Primary
- Carlton CofE Primary School Primary
- Castle Newnham School Primary
- Cauldwell School Primary
- Cotton End Forest School Primary
- Cranfield Church of England Academy Primary
- Edith Cavell Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Silsoe CofE VC Lower School teach?
- Silsoe CofE VC Lower School teaches children aged 4 to 9. It is a primary school in Bedford.
- Who is the headteacher of Silsoe CofE VC Lower School?
- The headteacher of Silsoe CofE VC Lower School is Mrs Sarah Boyle, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Silsoe CofE VC Lower School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Silsoe CofE VC 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 Silsoe CofE VC Lower School?
- Silsoe CofE VC Lower School has 251 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 9.
- Is Silsoe CofE VC Lower School full?
- Silsoe CofE VC Lower School has capacity for 300 pupils and 251 on roll (84%), 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 Silsoe CofE VC Lower School a faith school?
- Yes. Silsoe CofE VC Lower School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Albans.
- Does Silsoe CofE VC Lower School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Silsoe CofE VC Lower School as having no nursery classes.
- What SEN provision does Silsoe CofE VC Lower School have?
- The schools register lists Silsoe CofE VC Lower School's special educational needs provision as: SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- What is Silsoe CofE VC Lower School's absence rate?
- Silsoe CofE VC Lower School's overall absence rate is 4.5% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Silsoe CofE VC 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 Silsoe CofE VC 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.