Schools by area › Central Bedfordshire › The Mary Bassett Lower School
The Mary Bassett Lower School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 2–9 · Community school
Bassett Road, Leighton Buzzard LU7 1AR · marybassett.co.uk · 01525 373017
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected May 2024
- Demand for places
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 378
- 90% of 420 places
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 18.9%
- First language not English
- 21.2%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, 50 families put the school first and 59 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 59 | 50 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 60 | 55 | 0.9 | 91% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 60 | 51 | 0.9 | 94% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 38 | 35 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 60 | 52 | 0.9 | 96% |
Ofsted
The Mary Bassett Lower School was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 22 May 2024, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 22 May 2024
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Outstanding |
Previously: Concerns, ungraded inspection, Mar 2023
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Mar 2023Ungraded inspectionConcerns
Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Nov 2017Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective May 2013Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Oct 2009Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Early years Outstanding
What parents said
88% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (43 replies, to 7 April 2025).
- Recommend
- 88%
- Replies
- 43
- 12% · 7 Apr 2025
based on the 81% who raised concerns
based on the 33% who had a child bullied
based on 13 parents (30%) with SEND