Denbigh School

Denbigh School has effectively maintained its good standards since the last inspection. Under the leadership of headteacher Anthony Steed, the school demonstrates a clear ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Pupils report feeling happy and safe, and they thrive in an environment that emphasizes belonging and challenge in learning. The school's curriculum is ambitious, and significant support is provided for students, particularly in literacy and pastoral care, which contributes to a positive school culture.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy and safe at school.
• Strong behaviour and high expectations that staff establish.
• Ambitious curriculum leading to good academic outcomes.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND from a large team of expert staff.
• Proactive approach to promoting attendance.
• Wide range of extracurricular opportunities fostering personal development.
• Positive attitudes towards learning and supportive school culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Not all teachers effectively adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND.
• Some teachers' checks on pupils' learning need improvement, especially in certain subjects.

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 Denbigh School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 14.3% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Denbigh School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Denbigh School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.5% 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, 9.1% of pupils at Denbigh School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 Denbigh School received £7,127 and spent £7,852 for each of its 1,785 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £106,000 (-£59 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of The Alliance Schools Trust, income was £7,436 and spending £7,455 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 Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

Denbigh School is part of The Alliance Schools Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Loughton School Milton Keynes
• Watling Academy Milton Keynes
• Watling Primary School Milton Keynes
• Brooksward School Milton Keynes
• Willen Primary School Milton Keynes
• Drayton Park School Milton Keynes

What is Denbigh School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Denbigh School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Denbigh School last inspected by Ofsted?

Denbigh School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Denbigh School have?

Denbigh School has 1,778 pupils on roll.

What age range does Denbigh School cover?

Denbigh School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Denbigh School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 56.2, and 64% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Denbigh School?

Denbigh School is at Burchard Crescent, Shenley Church End, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK5 6EX.