Westoning Lower School
High Street, Westoning, Bedford, MK45 5JH
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- THE PYRAMID SCHOOLS TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jacqueline Boyle
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Mid Bedfordshire
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 150
- Pupils on roll
- 115
- URN
- 147994
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01525712994
About this school
Westoning Lower School is a primary academy in Bedford. It teaches children aged 2 to 9 and has 115 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
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 6 June 2024, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Trends over time
How Westoning 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 | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 106 |
| 2023/24 | 114 |
| 2024/25 | 117 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Westoning Lower School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 56% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 5.1% | 17.5% | 115 | — |
| Harlington Lower School | — | 4.3% | 5.7% | 130 | 1.1 miles |
| Flitwick Lower School | — | 4.9% | 8.9% | 336 | 1.3 miles |
| Kingsmoor Lower School | — | 3.7% | 11.8% | 167 | 1.5 miles |
| Templefield Lower School | — | 4.5% | 10.7% | 290 | 1.5 miles |
| Greenfield CofE VC Lower School | — | 4.9% | 6.4% | 145 | 1.9 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)
- 17.53%
- English as an additional language
- 7.7%
- Overall absence
- 5.13%
- Persistent absence
- 12.66%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Harlington Lower School1.1 miles
Primary · Dunstable
-
Flitwick Lower School1.3 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Kingsmoor Lower School1.5 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Templefield Lower School1.5 miles
Primary · Bedford
-
Greenfield CofE VC Lower School1.9 miles
Primary · Greenfield
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 Westoning Lower School teach?
- Westoning Lower School teaches children aged 2 to 9. It is a primary school in Bedford.
- Who is the headteacher of Westoning Lower School?
- The headteacher of Westoning Lower School is Mrs Jacqueline Boyle, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Westoning Lower School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Westoning 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 Westoning Lower School?
- Westoning Lower School has 115 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 9.
- Is Westoning Lower School full?
- Westoning Lower School has capacity for 150 pupils and 115 on roll (77%), 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 Westoning Lower School a faith school?
- No. Westoning Lower School has no designated religious character.
- Does Westoning Lower School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Westoning Lower School as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Westoning Lower School?
- Westoning Lower School is part of THE PYRAMID SCHOOLS TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Westoning Lower School's absence rate?
- Westoning Lower School's overall absence rate is 5.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Westoning 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 Westoning 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 10 July 2026.