Leedon School Leighton Buzzard

Leedon Lower School June 2008

Leedon was built as a County Primary Infants' School in the 1960s for pupils from 5 to 7 years. In 1968 the Secretary of State approved a comprehensive reorganisation of schools by the Local Education Authority, Bedfordshire County Council. This did away with selection at eleven, as had previously been the case, all pupils attending similar schools, teaching the same curriculum, based solely on age. Children aged 5 to 9 attended lower schools, those aged 9 to 13 went to a middle school and those aged 13 to 18 attended an upper school. The council affirmed its support for the scheme in 1969 and again in 1970 and in 1974 the reorganisation reached the Leighton Buzzard area.

Leighton Buzzard was slightly different to other parts of the county in that it had two infants' schools (Beaudesert and Leedon) for pupils aged 5 to 7 years. It was envisaged that this would continue for the foreseeable future, however, in the event both schools changed to become lower schools. Under the arrangements Leedon made the change to a lower school in 1976.

On 1st April 2009 Bedfordshire was abolished. The new Local Education Authority for Leighton Buzzard and area is Central Bedfordshire Council, a unitary council discharging both county and district functions.

Sources

Note that some sources may not be available in order to protect personal details:

• CA8/911: building maintenance file: 1967-1983;
• CA2/272: building file on swimming pool: 1970-1973;
• CA2/681: building file on changing rooms: 1971-1975;
• E/TE3/3: return of teaching staff: 1981;
• E/PM6/2/4: school support for abolition of corporal punishment: 1985-1986;
• E/TE3/6: return of teaching staff: 1986;
• E/MS3/2/6: kitchen and other details: c.1987;
• E/Pu4/4/135: school prospectus: 1995