Debden Park High School

Debden Park High School is a secondary comprehensive academy converter within the Kemnal Academy Trust, educating pupils aged 11 to 18. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and inspectors found rapid improvement in a relatively short time. The quality of education and behaviour are secure, while personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision are exceptional. Pupils are encouraged to 'Be their own future' and benefit from an ambitious curriculum, effective assessment, strong reading support and well-adapted teaching for pupils with SEND. Behaviour is positive, safeguarding is effective, and pupils feel safe and supported. Personal development is a notable strength, with a structured curriculum covering relationships, equality and mental health alongside extensive enrichment, careers guidance and leadership opportunities. Sixth-form students achieve well and act as strong role models. The main area for improvement is consistency in classroom practice: in some lessons, teaching strategies and activities are not closely matched to pupils’ learning needs, which can slow progress. Leaders are asked to refine these approaches so that all pupils benefit from high-quality teaching with maximum impact. Staff feel supported and proud to work at the school, and governors provide effective support and challenge.

Strengths

• Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with strong foundations and appropriate challenge
• Effective assessment and structured reflection help pupils remember learning
• Sharp focus on reading across the curriculum, with extra support for weaker readers
• Well-trained staff adapt teaching for pupils with SEND, including effective use of visual aids
• Positive behaviour supported by secure systems to discourage misbehaviour
• Bullying and discriminatory behaviour are dealt with quickly and effectively
• Pupils feel safe and supported and know where to go for help
• Outstanding personal development curriculum covering relationships, equality and mental health
• Extensive enrichment, trips, guest speakers, leadership roles and peer mentoring
• Exceptional sixth-form support with strong subject knowledge and detailed feedback
• Highly effective careers programme and guidance for pupils’ next steps
• Leaders consider staff workload and staff feel supported, empowered and proud
• Governors regularly visit and provide effective support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In some lessons, teaching strategies and activities are not closely aligned to pupils’ learning needs
• Some pupils do not progress as well as they can when classroom approaches are less effective
• The school should refine classroom strategies to ensure consistently high quality and greatest impact

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 Debden Park High School attended 91.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.4% 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, 6.3% of pupils at Debden Park High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Debden Park High School had 15.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.2% 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, 19.1% of pupils at Debden Park High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% 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 Debden Park High School received £9,410 and spent £9,970 for each of its 1,060 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £476,000 (£449 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Kemnal Academies Trust, income was £8,501 and spending £8,452 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 Loughton · Essex local authority: places and applications

Debden Park High School is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs 45 schools. The nearest others:

• Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy Romford
• King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy Waltham Abbey
• East Wickham Primary Academy Welling
• Welling School Welling
• Shenstone School Crayford
• Royal Park Primary Academy Sidcup
• Cleeve Park School Sidcup
• Cleeve Meadow School Sidcup
• Hylands School Chelmsford
• Kemnal Technology College Sidcup

What is Debden Park High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Debden Park High School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Debden Park High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Debden Park High School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Debden Park High School have?

Debden Park High School has 1,046 pupils on roll.

What age range does Debden Park High School cover?

Debden Park High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Debden Park High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.4, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Debden Park High School?

Debden Park High School is at Willingale Road, Debden, Loughton, Essex, IG10 2BQ.