Manshead Church of England Academy

Manshead Church of England Academy demonstrates a strong commitment to pupil safety and personal development, underpinned by a positive school culture and effective safeguarding measures. While the academy excels in promoting spiritual, moral, and cultural understanding, as well as in providing well-structured support for students' next steps, it faces challenges in achieving consistent academic success. Despite recent efforts to improve pupil outcomes, particularly in English and mathematics, achievement over time remains variable, prompting ongoing improvement efforts by school leaders. Attendance has also been highlighted as a key concern, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

Strengths

• Strong commitment to pupil safety and wellbeing.
• Effective safeguarding culture with comprehensive support systems.
• Promotion of spiritual, moral, and cultural development.
• Well-structured support for students' career paths.
• Pupils make a positive contribution to the community.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent achievement, particularly in English and mathematics.
• Low overall attendance, especially among disadvantaged pupils.
• Variable quality of teaching and assessment, particularly in key stage 3.
• Lack of precision in identifying and supporting pupils' learning needs.

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 Manshead Church of England Academy attended 89.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.2% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Manshead Church of England Academy 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 Manshead Church of England Academy had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.5% 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 Manshead Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 7 pupils.

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 Manshead Church of England Academy received £7,929 and spent £7,903 for each of its 1,146 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £477,000 (£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 Luton · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

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

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

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Manshead Church of England Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

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

Manshead Church of England Academy was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Manshead Church of England Academy have?

Manshead Church of England Academy has 1,134 pupils on roll.

What age range does Manshead Church of England Academy cover?

Manshead Church of England Academy for pupils aged 11 to 19.

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

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.9, and 34% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Manshead Church of England Academy?

Manshead Church of England Academy is at Dunstable Road, Caddington, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 4BB.