The Chalk Hills Academy

The Chalk Hills Academy continues to maintain a good standard of education, providing a safe and happy environment for its pupils. The school is recognized for its ambitious curriculum and effective teaching practices, which encourages both academic and personal development. High expectations are set for student behavior and learning, contributing to a respectful school culture. Students are well-prepared for future studies and employment, benefiting from various extracurricular activities and strong relationships with local universities and employers.

Strengths

• Effective and ambitious curriculum that builds upon prior learning
• Strong behavior management with low levels of disruption
• Supportive environment with high levels of pupil happiness
• Excellent extracurricular opportunities, including sports and cultural activities
• Dedicated training and development for teachers
• Well-structured lessons that reinforce knowledge retention
• Effective relationships with external organizations for career guidance

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent adaptations to teaching for pupils with SEND
• Some pupils struggling with reading lack adequate support across all year groups

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Chalk Hills Academy attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 5.1% of pupils at The Chalk Hills Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Chalk Hills Academy had 17.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 12.3% of pupils at The Chalk Hills Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Chalk Hills Academy received £8,260 and spent £7,808 for each of its 1,620 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,553,000 (£958 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Advantage Schools, income was £7,950 and spending £7,863 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Luton · Luton local authority: places and applications

The Chalk Hills Academy is part of Advantage Schools, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• The Vale Academy Dunstable
• Houstone School Dunstable
• The Stockwood Park Academy Luton
• The Linden Academy Luton
• The Rushmere Park Academy Leighton Buzzard
• Elstow School Bedford
• Bedford Free School Bedford
• Queen's Park Academy Bedford
• Laburnum Primary School Sandy

What is The Chalk Hills Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Chalk Hills Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was The Chalk Hills Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Chalk Hills Academy was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does The Chalk Hills Academy have?

The Chalk Hills Academy has 1,644 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Chalk Hills Academy cover?

The Chalk Hills Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Chalk Hills Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.8, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Chalk Hills Academy?

The Chalk Hills Academy is at Leagrave High St, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU4 0NE.