Henlow Church of England Academy

Henlow Church of England Academy is performing well overall, with inspectors positive about the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Pupils are happy in a friendly, inclusive school where the HENLOW values shape positive relationships. Most pupils behave well, attend regularly and achieve at least as well as others nationally by the end of Year 11. Safeguarding is effective, and pupils feel safe and know staff will help if they are worried. The school has significant recent context: it became part of the Poppy Hill Church of England Multi Academy Trust in 2021, was redesignated from a middle school to a secondary school, and its first Year 11 cohort completed GCSEs in 2024. The curriculum has been redesigned for the 11–16 age range and is logically sequenced, with strong reading provision, effective SEND support and a well-implemented careers programme. This was also the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. There are two main areas for improvement. Occasionally, teachers do not use all the information available to adapt learning precisely to pupils’ different abilities, so some pupils who could achieve more are not moved on quickly enough. In addition, delivery of the PSHE programme is inconsistent because some staff are less confident, meaning pupils do not always make important links across their personal development learning.

Strengths

• Friendly and inclusive culture underpinned by the HENLOW values and positive relationships.
• Pupils feel safe and know staff will assist if they are worried.
• Bullying is rare and dealt with appropriately when it occurs.
• Most pupils behave well, attend regularly and are punctual to lessons.
• Pupils typically achieve at least as well as others nationally by the end of Year 11.
• Curriculum has been redesigned for the 11–16 age range and is logically sequenced.
• SEND is identified promptly and pupils are supported effectively to learn alongside peers.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and check learning to address misconceptions promptly.
• Strong reading culture with a well-used library and effective catch-up support.
• Careers education is well implemented and prepares pupils for their next steps.
• Pupils benefit from a range of clubs, educational visits and Duke of Edinburgh activities.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Staff appreciate the focus on workload, well-being and professional development.
• Trust and local governors work closely with the school to secure ongoing improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers occasionally do not adapt learning activities precisely enough to pupils’ different abilities, so some pupils could achieve more are not moved on quickly enough.
• Delivery of the PSHE programme is inconsistent, meaning pupils sometimes miss important connections across the different strands of personal development.

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 Henlow Church of England Academy attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.1% 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, 3.2% of pupils at Henlow Church of England Academy 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 Henlow Church of England Academy had 14.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.4% 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, 16.2% of pupils at Henlow Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 9.0% 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 Henlow Church of England Academy received £7,241 and spent £8,051 for each of its 719 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £17,000 (£24 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Poppy Hill Church of England Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,092 and spending £7,251 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 Central Bedfordshire · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

Henlow Church of England Academy is part of Poppy Hill Church of England Multi Academy Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Meppershall Church of England Academy Shefford

What is Henlow Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Henlow Church of England Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Henlow Church of England Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Henlow Church of England Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Henlow Church of England Academy have?

Henlow Church of England Academy has 599 pupils on roll.

What age range does Henlow Church of England Academy cover?

Henlow Church of England Academy for pupils aged 9 to 16.

What are Henlow Church of England Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.0, and 30% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Henlow Church of England Academy?

Henlow Church of England Academy is at Church Road, Henlow, Bedfordshire, SG16 6AN.