Walton High

Walton High has demonstrated a solid performance, maintaining a good standard of education and care for its pupils. With a curriculum that equips students with essential skills, the school fosters ambition and self-awareness among its students. Teacher support and mentoring are significant strengths, contributing to a positive learning environment across its two campuses. Furthermore, the school's commitment to accessible education for all, including those with special educational needs, is noteworthy, alongside efforts to enhance reading skills among students. As this was the first inspection following the COVID-19 pandemic, there was recognition of the challenges faced and the progress made post-pandemic. However, some areas for improvement remain, particularly in ensuring that teachers effectively check pupil understanding before progressing to new topics. Additionally, the careers curriculum is still being developed to fully inform students about future education and employment opportunities. Despite these concerns, the leadership team has clear plans for further improvements, and the school community shows a strong commitment to continuous development.

Strengths

• Carefully considered and ambitious curriculum implementation
• Strong teacher-pupil relationships and positive school community
• Effective support for students with special educational needs
• Variety in language offerings, including Mandarin and Latin
• Extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom
• Robust support for reading skills development
• Actively engaged and empowered student leadership
• Close collaboration with families to enhance attendance

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupil understanding before introducing new concepts
• Careers programme not fully developed, lacking comprehensive student exposure

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 Walton High attended 90.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.1% 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, 8.1% of pupils at Walton High 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 Walton High had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.7% 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, 13.3% of pupils at Walton High were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.2% 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 2023–24 Walton High received £7,256 and spent £6,907 for each of its 3,077 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,323,000 (£1,405 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of 5 Dimensions Trust, income was £6,914 and spending £6,656 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

Walton High is part of 5 Dimensions Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Brooklands Academy Milton Keynes
• Merebrook Infant School Milton Keynes
• Emerson Valley School Milton Keynes
• Shenley Brook End School Milton Keynes
• Priory Rise School Milton Keynes
• The Hazeley Academy Milton Keynes

What is Walton High's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Walton High is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Walton High last inspected by Ofsted?

Walton High was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Walton High have?

Walton High has 2,969 pupils on roll.

What age range does Walton High cover?

Walton High for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Walton High's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.0, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Walton High?

Walton High is at Fyfield Barrow, Walnut Tree, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK7 7WH.