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The Firs Lower School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 2–9 · Academy
Station Road, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2QR · firslower.co.uk · 01525 402735
On the mapSearch near MK45 2QR
Overview
- Ofsted
- Remains Good
- Ungraded inspection · Mar 2023
- Demand for places
- 0.9
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 350
- 2 over 348 places · 101%
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 5%
- First language not English
- 2.9%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, 43 families put the school first and 48 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 | 48 | 43 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 60 | 55 | 0.9 | 93% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 60 | 50 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 52 | 53 | 1▲ | 98% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 44 | 34 | 0.8 | 100% |
Ofsted
At an ungraded inspection on 9 March 2023, Ofsted’s outcome for The Firs Lower School was: School remains Good.
- Outcome
- Remains Good
- Inspected
- 8 Mar 2023
- Ungraded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Nov 2013
Earlier inspections
Before September 2019
Sept 2017Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective Nov 2013Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Jan 2012Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement
What parents said
94% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (133 replies, to 1 January 2024).
- Recommend
- 94%
- Replies
- 133
- 39% · 1 Jan 2024
based on the 74% who raised concerns
based on the 26% who had a child bullied
based on 15 parents (11%) with SEND