Harlington Upper School

Harlington Upper School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in its recent inspection. The quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and sixth-form provision all received positive evaluations. The school is noted for its ambitious curriculum and has shown improvements in student behaviour, with most pupils responding positively to raised expectations. However, some pupils still exhibit boisterous behaviour during social times, indicating areas for ongoing development. Additionally, while there is a positive atmosphere regarding academic and personal support, there are concerns about communication with parents regarding school changes.

Strengths

• The curriculum is ambitious and offers a wide range of qualifications.
• Pupils generally learn well and reach high expectations.
• There are effective partnerships developed between teachers and sixth-form students.
• Teachers consistently implement the curriculum in a logical order.
• The school provides strong support for early-stage readers.
• Students in the sixth form are well prepared for their future.
• Improved pupil behaviour has been noted over time.

Areas for Improvement

• Support for some pupils with SEND lacks precision, affecting effectiveness.
• A small minority of pupils do not meet behaviour expectations during social times.
• Some parents are not confident in the school's communication regarding changes.

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 Harlington Upper School attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.6% 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, 6.8% of pupils at Harlington Upper School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Harlington Upper School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.9% 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, 10.5% of pupils at Harlington Upper School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% 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 Harlington Upper School received £7,520 and spent £7,520 for each of its 1,198 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £24,000 (-£20 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of The Pyramid Schools Trust, income was £6,877 and spending £6,932 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 Dunstable · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

Harlington Upper School is part of The Pyramid Schools Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Harlington Lower School Dunstable
• Westoning Lower School Bedford
• Sundon Lower School Luton
• Parkfields Middle School Dunstable
• Arnold Academy Bedford
• Ramsey Manor Lower School Bedford
• Redborne Upper School and Community College Bedford
• Beecroft Academy Dunstable
• Brooklands Middle School Leighton Buzzard

What is Harlington Upper School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harlington Upper School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Harlington Upper School last inspected by Ofsted?

Harlington Upper School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Harlington Upper School have?

Harlington Upper School has 1,156 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harlington Upper School cover?

Harlington Upper School for pupils aged 13 to 18.

Where is Harlington Upper School?

Harlington Upper School is at Goswell End Road, Harlington, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 6NX.