The Stockwood Park Academy

The Stockwood Park Academy is a secondary and sixth-form school that has improved markedly since its previous inspection, when it was judged to require improvement. Inspectors found determined leadership, a carefully built ambitious curriculum, and strong support for teachers, and all key judgements—quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision—are now good. The school is part of the Advantage Schools Trust, which was formed in September 2024 after a trust merger. Safeguarding is effective. Pupils are proud of their school and benefit from a warm, respectful culture with strong pastoral support. Behaviour and attendance have improved, low-level disruption is rare, and pupils access a wide range of clubs, assemblies, careers advice and other experiences. The curriculum is logically sequenced and ambitious, including an increasing number of pupils studying the English baccalaureate, and sixth-form students follow a broad study programme. Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well included, and reading and vocabulary support are effective. The main area for improvement is assessment practice. Teachers’ checks on pupils’ understanding are not always purposeful, so some pupils who need extra help—or who have finished early—are not spotted quickly enough, leading to gaps or missed opportunities to deepen learning. In addition, recent national test and assessment results do not yet match the quality of the curriculum pupils experience day to day. Leaders are clear that improvement work is not finished.

Strengths

• Strong culture of belonging, mutual respect and celebration of diversity
• Pupils treat each other and adults with respect and learn without disruption
• High-quality pastoral support helps pupils manage behaviour and get back on track
• Wide range of clubs, assemblies and experiences supports personal development
• High-quality careers advice prepares pupils for next steps
• Ambitious curriculum with increasing numbers studying the English baccalaureate
• Knowledge is logically sequenced so pupils build understanding over time
• Effective teacher development and a teaching ‘playbook’ support strong classroom delivery
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and successfully included in lessons
• Rigorous reading and vocabulary support helps pupils catch up
• Improved behaviour routines and rising attendance
• Sixth-form students act as positive role models and follow a broad, appropriate study programme
• Leaders acted decisively on previous inspection findings, working closely with the trust
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers’ checks on understanding are not always purposeful, so some pupils miss extra help or extension work
• Recent national test and assessment results do not yet match the quality of the curriculum

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 Stockwood Park Academy attended 89.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 34.3% 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, 10.0% of pupils at The Stockwood Park Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 Stockwood Park Academy had 15.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.9% 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, 16.6% of pupils at The Stockwood Park Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.9% 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 Stockwood Park Academy received £8,835 and spent £8,762 for each of its 1,471 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,410,000 (£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 Stockwood Park Academy is part of Advantage Schools, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• The Linden Academy Luton
• The Chalk Hills Academy Luton
• The Vale Academy Dunstable
• Houstone School Dunstable
• 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 Stockwood Park Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Stockwood Park Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was The Stockwood Park Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Stockwood Park Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does The Stockwood Park Academy have?

The Stockwood Park Academy has 1,438 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Stockwood Park Academy cover?

The Stockwood Park Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Stockwood Park Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.9, and 28% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Stockwood Park Academy?

The Stockwood Park Academy is at Rotheram Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 5PP.