Beaudesert Lower School Leighton Buzzard

Beaudesert Lower School June 2008

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, 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, the change occurring in 1976. Children continued to attend the old county primary infants' school premises in Beaudesert for the first few years of the new school's life, despite the very unsatisfactory conditions.

The present school was built in 1980 and opened in 1981, at which point the old Beaudesert Infants' School was closed and Bedfordshire County Council, the Local Education Authority, sold the site to McCann Homes for £1,500. The old school buildings were demolished to make way for housing. The school was built in Appenine Way to serve the rapidly developing Planets Estate but the old name was retained to link the new school with its long established predecessor. The school Clutch Club produced an informative web site showing the development of the modern school and its predecessor from the early 19th century.

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

• CA8/553: building maintenance file: 1966-1979;
• E/SE3/1/1: notes on special unit attached to school: 1975;
• CA8/417: building maintenance file: 1979-1981
• PY/PH64/1-5: exterior photographs of Beaudesert Lower School during construction: 1979-1980;
• E/TE3/3: return of teaching staff: 1981;
• E/TE3/6: return of teaching staff: 1986;
• E/MS3/2/6: kitchen and other details: c.1987;
• E/Pu4/4/176: school prospectus: 1995