St Leonards, Heath and Reach VA Lower School
Welcome
The Staff, Governors and Pupils welcome you to our school website. We hope that you will find it informative, engaging and interesting and that it provides you with an insight into our ethos and values.
This is a warm and friendly school. Pupils are well cared for in a nurturing environment. They know the school values, for example courage and compassion, which underpin what they do everyday at school. Pupils enjoy learning about each of the school values.. This ensures a positive environment for all, where pupils behave well. Ofsted March 2024
We are a small, inclusive, friendly and welcoming school. The Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS), in their 2025 inspection stated that "St Leonard’s is a happy school where members aim to be the ‘good soil’ for one another. This is a result of the high quality relationships and a deeply embedded culture where everyone strives to treat each other well. In line with their vision, staff describe themselves as being ‘rooted’ here, with a real feeling of community. Leaders prioritise knowing and understanding everyone at St Leonard’s as a unique individual".
We attract children and families from Heath and Reach, Leighton Buzzard and Linslade and the surrounding villages. Our small, nurturing and inclusive environment has a justifiably high reputation and consequently some parents choose to send their children to our school from outside of their catchment area. They are attracted to and support the strong values, Christian ethos and child centred approach which form the basis of our vision and aims.
Vision and Ethos statement
We are a one-form entry lower school with 5 classes. Our classes are smaller than average with a Pupil Admission Number of 25. We have an experienced staff team who work incredibly hard to make our school such a special learning community for our children and their families.
We enjoy strong, close links with St Leonard's Parish Church and the Diocese of St Albans. Our pupils, from all faiths and none, benefit from the links we have and the opportunities we create to explore values, morals, faith and the time to reflect on what they and others consider important.
We provide a wide range of exciting learning experiences within our carefully planned, broad curriculum. Our school is positioned within in a wonderful setting, neighbouring Stockgrove and Rushmere Country Parks. Our children have access to a range of outdoor areas within our grounds including our own school woods. Staff consider outdoor and active learning to be beneficial to pupils’ physical, spiritual, moral and social wellbeing and as a result they seek opportunities to enable pupils to learn in a range of environments.
Our children make good progress in all stages of the school. Typically, our results are above national averages. "Pupils enjoy their learning and are confident to share what they are doing. They know the importance of working hard and contributing to discussions. Pupils enjoy learning as much as they can about a topic. As a result pupils learn well.. Staff make adaptations to the curriculum and activities to help pupils with SEND learn key knowledge this ensures that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum alongside their peers successfully" Ofsted March 2024
If you would like to visit our school I would be happy to show you around.
