Find the best primary schools in Luton. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Luton has 47 primary schools, all in Luton council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 47, 6 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Luton primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Hillborough Junior School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Leagrave Primary School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| William Austin Infant School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Whipperley Infant Academy | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| River Bank Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Tennyson Road Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Denbigh Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Downside Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| The Meads Primary School |
There are 47 primary schools in Luton.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 47 primary schools in Luton, 6 have a religious character: 5 Roman Catholic and 1 Church of England. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Hillborough Junior School (4.8), Leagrave Primary School (4.8), William Austin Infant School (4.7), Whipperley Infant Academy (4.5) and River Bank Primary School (4.5). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 47 schools here, 41 have enough published data for a rating.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
| Mixed |
| 4.3 / 5 |
| Putteridge Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Cutenhoe Hill Primary School ( Formerly Surrey Street) | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Chantry Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Farley Junior Academy | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Icknield Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Bramingham Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Stopsley Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| St Margaret of Scotland Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.9 / 5 |
| Ramridge Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Someries Junior School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Southfield Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Waulud Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| The Linden Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Foxdell Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.8 / 5 |
| St Matthew's Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Bushmead Primary & Nursery School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Beechwood Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Parklea Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| William Austin Junior School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Maidenhall Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| St Martin De Porres Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.4 / 5 |
| Dallow Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Wigmore Primary | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Norton Road Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Warden Hill Junior School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Pirton Hill Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Whitefield Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Crawley Green Infant School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Beech Hill Community Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Ferrars Junior School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Wenlock CofE Academy | Church of England | 2.7 / 5 |
| Hillborough Infant and Nursery School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | Not yet rated |
| Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education Centre | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | Not yet rated |
| The Ferrars Academy | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Warden Hill Infant Academy | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.