Totternhoe Church of England Academy

Totternhoe Church of England Academy is a small Church of England primary school within The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust. This full section 5 inspection found the school performing at the expected standard for attendance and behaviour, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing, but requiring attention in achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, and leadership and governance. Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture in which pupils feel safe. Behaviour has improved markedly, attendance is good, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and included. However, achievement is not consistently strong: too few pupils reach the expected or higher standards by the end of Year 6, and outcomes vary across year groups. Teaching quality is uneven, with some staff lacking secure subject knowledge and clear modelling, and early years practice is inconsistent so children do not always develop key skills rapidly. Many parents lack confidence in the school, and leaders' recent actions to improve the curriculum, assessment and communication are new and their impact is not yet fully evident. The trust is providing intensive support and new school leadership has set clear priorities, but these improvements need to become embedded to secure rapid and sustained progress.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture where concerns are actively identified and managed.
• Pupils feel safe and behaviour has improved greatly because staff apply clear, fair rules consistently.
• Attendance is good and leaders work closely with families to reduce absence and term-time holidays.
• Inclusion is a priority and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are typically well supported and make progress.
• Pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs are met effectively through pastoral care and targeted support.
• A well-sequenced personal development programme builds pupils' knowledge and understanding, including relationships, health and safety.
• Phonics is taught well, helping most pupils learn to read confidently and fluently.
• Staff report improved wellbeing, reduced workload and more focused professional development.
• Governors and the trust recognise weaknesses and have set clear priorities with urgent actions.

Areas for Improvement

• Over time, not enough pupils achieve as well as they should in national tests and assessments at the end of Year 6.
• Achievement is not high enough in all year groups, and some pupils do not reach expected or higher standards.
• Pupils who join the school at different times develop gaps in their knowledge, which affects their achievement.
• Teaching quality varies; some staff have weaker subject knowledge and do not always provide clear models.
• Leaders' actions to improve teaching are new and their impact on pupils' learning is not yet evident.
• Early years practice is inconsistent, slowing children's progress in developing key skills and vocabulary.
• Many parents and carers lack confidence in the school, as shown in the Ofsted parent survey.
• Leaders' recent actions to address gaps and embed priorities have not yet had time to make a sustained impact.

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 Totternhoe Church of England Academy attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Totternhoe 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 Totternhoe Church of England Academy had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.9% 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, 20.9% of pupils at Totternhoe Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.0% 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 Totternhoe Church of England Academy received £7,613 and spent £7,156 for each of its 179 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £74,000 (£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

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

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

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

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

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

Totternhoe Church of England Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Totternhoe Church of England Academy have?

Totternhoe Church of England Academy has 177 pupils on roll.

What age range does Totternhoe Church of England Academy cover?

Totternhoe Church of England Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 18% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Totternhoe Church of England Academy?

Totternhoe Church of England Academy is at Church Road, Totternhoe, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1RE.