Lea Manor High School

Lea Manor High School demonstrates strong performance overall, with notable improvements in student attendance, behaviour, and curriculum delivery since its last inspection. Under the guidance of new leadership from the Chiltern Learning Trust, which took over in August 2023, the school has addressed previous weaknesses effectively. Although historic challenges have affected students' academic outcomes, the commitment to enhancing educational quality and providing targeted support has positioned the school as a supportive environment where students feel safe and engaged. Strengths of the school include a robust approach to safeguarding and a clear focus on inclusion, which ensures that all students, including those with special educational needs, receive the necessary support. The school community expresses pride in fostering positive relationships and promoting personal development, though there remain some concerns around the academic performance gap, particularly in national examination results. Leaders are aware of these challenges and are actively working towards further improvements.

Strengths

• Highly effective approach to improving attendance
• Strong expectations for behaviour maintained across the school
• Ambitious and well-delivered curriculum
• Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and effective teaching methods
• High-quality support for pupils with special educational needs
• Strong relationships between staff and students
• Effective careers education and guidance
• Strong community involvement and parent engagement

Areas for Improvement

• Historic weaknesses leading to low academic achievement
• Gaps in knowledge for some older pupils, particularly in English and mathematics
• Need for improved outcomes in national examinations

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 Lea Manor High School attended 90.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.4% 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, 7.2% of pupils at Lea Manor High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 12 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 Lea Manor High School had 14.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.4% 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, 12.4% of pupils at Lea Manor High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.8% 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 Lea Manor High School received £9,368 and spent £9,222 for each of its 996 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £588,000 (£591 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Chiltern Learning Trust, income was £7,910 and spending £7,771 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 · Luton local authority: places and applications

Lea Manor High School is part of Chiltern Learning Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Challney High School for Girls Luton
• Challney High School for Boys Luton
• Denbigh High School Luton
• Dallow Primary School Luton
• Putteridge High School Luton
• Chiltern Academy Luton
• Ardley Hill Academy Dunstable
• Lark Rise Academy Dunstable
• Lancot School Dunstable
• Gilbert Inglefield Academy Leighton Buzzard

What is Lea Manor High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lea Manor High School is Needs attention, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Lea Manor High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lea Manor High School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Lea Manor High School have?

Lea Manor High School has 916 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lea Manor High School cover?

Lea Manor High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Lea Manor High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.3, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Lea Manor High School?

Lea Manor High School is at Northwell Drive, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3TL.