Dunstable West
Summary
Dunstable West (E02003646) is part of Central Bedfordshire local authority (view on map). Dunstable West has an approximate population of 11,000 people, of which 22% are children 15 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".
Dunstable West neighbours Houghton Regis South, Dunstable Central, and Eaton Bray, Whipsnade & Holywell.
Guidance and data sources
Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.
The data displayed is sourced from:
Deprivation
Dunstable West is the 27th least deprived area in Central Bedfordshire (out of 33) with 32% of children living in low-income families, compared to 25% across Central Bedfordshire and 38% nationally.
State-funded pupil characteristics
Information acquired from the school census.
Free school meals
In Dunstable West, 16% of state-funded pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to 16% in Central Bedfordshire and 27% nationally.
Contents
Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
Table showing the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
| % in Dunstable West | % in Central Bedfordshire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals | 16% | 16% | 27% |
| Not eligible for free school meals | 84% | 84% | 73% |
Special educational needs
In Dunstable West, 18% of pupils in state-funded settings have special educational needs (SEN), compared to 17% in Central Bedfordshire, and 19% nationally.
This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
Table showing the percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools
| % in Dunstable West | % in Central Bedfordshire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No special educational needs | 82% | 83% | 81% |
| Receiving special educational needs support | 12% | 11% | 14% |
| With an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) | 6% | 6% | 5% |
Ethnicity
In Dunstable West, 26% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, compared to 21% in Central Bedfordshire, and 33% nationally.
Percentages may not sum to 100%, due to small values being suppressed.
Contents
Percentage of pupils by major ethnic groups
Table
| % in Dunstable West | % in Central Bedfordshire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73% | 80% | 67% |
| Asian | 8% | 5% | 14% |
| Black | 7% | 4% | 7% |
| Mixed | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| Other | 1% | 1% | 3% |
| Not known | 1% | 2% | 2% |
English as an additional language
The percentage of pupils in Dunstable West with English as an additional language is 22%, compared with 11% in Central Bedfordshire, and 22% nationally.
Numbers may not sum to 100%, due to a small number of pupils with an unclassified language.
Contents
Percentage of pupils with English as an additional language
Table
| % in Dunstable West | % in Central Bedfordshire | % in England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Known or believed to be other than English | 22% | 11% | 22% |
| Known or believed to be English | 78% | 89% | 78% |
Provider information
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Registered childcare providers
Dunstable West has 14 registered childcare providers.
| Type | Number in Dunstable West |
|---|---|
| All childcare providers | 14 |
| Childminders | 13 |
| Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care | 1 |
There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Dunstable West since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
State-funded schools
Dunstable West has 3 state-funded schools.
| Type | Number in Dunstable West |
|---|---|
| All state-funded schools | 3 |
| Nursery schools | 1 |
| Primary and all-through schools | 2 |
| Secondary and all-through schools | 0 |
| Special schools | 1 |
| Registered alternative provision | 0 |
There have been no inspections of schools in Dunstable West since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.
Data sources: