Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy

Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy has been graded good in all key areas inspected: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school was previously judged to require improvement, and inspectors found that leaders have made sustained, carefully managed improvements and that pupils are now catching up on key knowledge. Safeguarding is effective. Pupils are described as welcoming, kind and well behaved, and they feel safe and well cared for. Reading and phonics are particularly strong, writing is prioritised, pupils with SEND are well supported, and early years provision is ambitious with clear routines. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, leadership roles, music and community activities, and attendance has improved significantly. The school's Christian values and ethos are evident across school life. Two areas need further work. In some subjects, assessment is not used sharply enough to identify misconceptions and secure stronger outcomes, and in some subjects the key knowledge pupils must learn and the order in which to teach it are not clearly set out. Leaders are already refining the curriculum, and governance and staff support are strengths.

Strengths

• Pupils are welcoming, kind and behave very well
• Reading and phonics are well developed with a systematic approach
• Pupils read books closely matched to their phonics knowledge
• Writing is prioritised and pupils take pride in improving their work
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and well supported
• Early years provision is ambitious with clear routines and high expectations
• Pupils have rich opportunities through music, clubs, trips and leadership roles
• Attendance has improved significantly, including for previously persistent absentees
• Leaders have managed improvement calmly with sustainability and stability in mind
• Governance is effective and staff feel valued and supported
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment information is not always used effectively in some subjects to identify misconceptions and improve outcomes
• In some subjects, key knowledge and the sequence in which it should be taught are not clearly identified, so pupils do not learn important content

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 Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 1.0% of pupils at Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy had 19.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 13.6% of pupils at Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy received £7,614 and spent £7,470 for each of its 204 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £85,000 (£416 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,648 and spending £7,542 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

Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy is part of Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Manshead Church of England Academy Luton
• Totternhoe Church of England Academy Dunstable
• Kensworth Church of England Academy Dunstable
• Studham Village CofE Academy Studham
• Wenlock CofE Academy Luton
• St Leonards CE Academy Leighton Buzzard
• St James' CofE Academy Bedford
• Northill CofE Academy Biggleswade
• Caldecote Church of England Academy Biggleswade
• Ursula Taylor Church of England School Bedford

What is Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy have?

Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy has 206 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy cover?

Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 39% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy?

Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy is at Angels Lane, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 5HH.