Pulford CofE VA Lower School
Pulford Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1AB
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr David Heather
- Diocese
- Diocese of St Albans
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 255
- Pupils on roll
- 259
- URN
- 109619
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01525372188
About this school
Pulford CofE VA Lower School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Leighton Buzzard. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 259 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 Pulford CofE VA 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 | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 261 |
| 2023/24 | 255 |
| 2024/25 | 264 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Pulford CofE VA Lower School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 98% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 3% | 4.5% | 259 | — |
| The Mary Bassett Lower School | — | 6.1% | 17.4% | 378 | 0.3 miles |
| Clipstone Brook Lower School | — | 5.6% | 12.3% | 306 | 0.6 miles |
| The Rushmere Park Academy | — | 6.1% | 29.8% | 207 | 0.7 miles |
| Linslade Lower School | — | 2.7% | 3.3% | 181 | 0.7 miles |
| Leedon Lower School | — | 6.8% | 17.8% | 368 | 0.9 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)
- 4.48%
- English as an additional language
- 23.9%
- Overall absence
- 3.01%
- Persistent absence
- 2.73%
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Mary Bassett Lower School0.3 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
Clipstone Brook Lower School0.6 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
The Rushmere Park Academy0.7 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
Linslade Lower School0.7 miles
Primary · Leighton Buzzard
-
Leedon Lower School0.9 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
- Southcott Lower School Primary
- St Leonards CE Academy Primary
- St Michael's Church of England Combined School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Pulford CofE VA Lower School teach?
- Pulford CofE VA Lower School teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Leighton Buzzard.
- Who is the headteacher of Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
- The headteacher of Pulford CofE VA Lower School is Mr David Heather, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Pulford CofE VA Lower School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Pulford CofE VA 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 Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
- Pulford CofE VA Lower School has 259 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is Pulford CofE VA Lower School full?
- Pulford CofE VA Lower School has capacity for 255 pupils and 259 on roll (102%), so it is at or above 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 Pulford CofE VA Lower School a faith school?
- Yes. Pulford CofE VA Lower School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Albans.
- Does Pulford CofE VA Lower School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Pulford CofE VA Lower School as having nursery classes.
- What is Pulford CofE VA Lower School's absence rate?
- Pulford CofE VA Lower School's overall absence rate is 3% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Pulford CofE VA 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 Pulford CofE VA 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.