Chiltern Hills Academy

Chiltern Hills Academy continues to demonstrate good performance as it evolves amidst changes, with leaders emphasizing the importance of offering pupils a well-rounded education. The school provides a broad curriculum that is well-received by students, fostering positive relationships and high aspirations. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support is effectively implemented, though there are areas for improvement to ensure full accessibility of the curriculum for all students. The environment promotes learning, safety, and respectful interactions among pupils and staff.

Strengths

• Broad curriculum with a wide range of subjects.
• High expectations for pupils' behavior and personal development.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Strong careers education and partnerships with local businesses.
• Positive relationships among pupils and staff.
• Commitment to developing pupils' mental health through PSHE initiatives.

Areas for Improvement

• Too few pupils are taking modern languages, limiting EBacc eligibility.
• Some teachers do not use assessment information effectively to challenge all pupils.
• PSHE program is not well-sequenced, affecting pupil understanding.

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 Chiltern Hills Academy attended 89.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.2% 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, 7.5% of pupils at Chiltern Hills Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Chiltern Hills Academy had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.2% 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, 11.3% of pupils at Chiltern Hills Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% 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 Chiltern Hills Academy received £7,842 and spent £8,314 for each of its 1,073 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,076,000 (£1,935 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Oxford Diocesan Bucks Schools Trust, income was £7,077 and spending £7,224 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 Chesham · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Chiltern Hills Academy is part of Oxford Diocesan Bucks Schools Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Elmtree Infant and Nursery School Chesham
• Thomas Harding Junior School Chesham
• Chesham Bois Church of England School Amersham
• Woodside Junior School Amersham
• Curzon Church of England Combined School Amersham
• Chenies School Rickmansworth
• The Downley School High Wycombe
• St John's Church of England Primary School, Lacey Green Princes Risborough
• Longwick Church of England Combined School Princes Risborough
• St Mary's Church of England School Aylesbury

What is Chiltern Hills Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chiltern Hills Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Chiltern Hills Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Chiltern Hills Academy was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Chiltern Hills Academy have?

Chiltern Hills Academy has 1,047 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chiltern Hills Academy cover?

Chiltern Hills Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Chiltern Hills Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.9, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Chiltern Hills Academy?

Chiltern Hills Academy is at Chartridge Lane, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2RG.