Challney High School for Boys
similar schools
Challney High School for Boys is a converter academy in Luton for boys aged 11 to 16. It has 1,197 pupils and room for 1,212. About 30 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 84 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2023.
Stoneygate Road, Luton, LU4 9TJ01582 599921challneyboys.co.ukMr Mark Mailer headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 November 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
229 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Luton | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 229 | 241 | 234 | 238 | 174 | 159 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 47.7 | 48.7 | 46.7 | 52.6 | 46.5 | 47.2 | 45.6 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.56 | +0.39 | +0.71 | +0.29 | +0.09 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 54% | 53% | 54% | 57% | 49% | 42% | 43% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 68% | 67% | 67% | 74% | 67% | 65% | 64% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.21 | 4.27 | 3.94 | 4.52 | 4.04 | 4.19 | 4.10 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 42% | 39% | 41% | 45% | 51% | 53% | 50% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 44.3 | 44.3 | 42.0 | 51.1 | 41.6 | 44.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 49.1 | 50.4 | 48.7 | 53.2 | 48.8 | 48.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 32.0 | 29.3 | 37.7 | 28.0 | 22.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 71.7 | 67.1 | 72.2 | 62.5 | 59.4 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Religious Studies (52% here, 60% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 227 | 23% | 57% | 71% | 53% | 1,144 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 227 | 20% | 55% | 68% | 54% | 1,375 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 226 | 31% | 69% | 79% | 58% | 702 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 204 | 8% | 41% | 54% | 36% | 1,046 of 3,084 |
| History | 122 | 31% | 51% | 57% | 52% | 1,533 of 3,126 |
| Religious Studies | 116 | 22% | 52% | 64% | 60% | 1,286 of 1,825 |
| French | 91 | 31% | 70% | 85% | 60% | 704 of 1,974 |
| Geography | 88 | 15% | 42% | 63% | 51% | 1,977 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 57 | 19% | 63% | 91% | 58% | 1,192 of 2,818 |
| Social Studies | 52 | 21% | 65% | 83% | 54% | 298 of 1,043 |
| Business | 44 | 41% | 75% | 96% | 51% | 186 of 1,806 |
| Computer Science | 44 | 39% | 71% | 96% | 56% | 490 of 1,861 |
| Chemistry | 22 | 82% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 110 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 22 | 77% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 120 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 22 | 82% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 103 of 2,546 |
| Engineering | 18 | 22% | 67% | 72% | 46% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 6 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Luton council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (54), Other difficulty or disability (36), emotional and mental health (25), Moderate learning difficulty (10), Physical disability (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (8).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,197 | 1,201 | 1,199 | 1,180 | 1,194 | 1,151 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 30% | 27% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 22% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 48% | 55% | 58% | 70% | 78% | 81% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 9% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 6% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.0% | 7.4% | 9.2% | 8.4% | 6.4% | 5.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.6% | 4.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 4.3% | 3.9% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.4% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.5% | 23.2% | 34.8% | 30.2% | 15.7% | 13.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 21.2 | 21.0 | 14.2 | 6.2 | 2.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 234 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 93%, compared with 96% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 95% | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Education | 94% | 92% | 92% | 93% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | – | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 2% | 5% | 4% | 6% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challney High School for Girls | Academy | 390 m | 1,062 | Outstanding 2020 | 85 | Compare |
| The Chalk Hills Academy | Academy | 1.0 miles | 1,644 | Good 2023 | 49 | Compare |
| Lealands High School | Foundation | 1.7 miles | 1,025 | Good 2023 | 53 | Compare |
| Denbigh High School | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,130 | Outstanding 2023 | 90 | Compare |
| Lea Manor High School | Academy | 1.9 miles | 916 | Report card 2026 | 11 | Compare |
| Icknield High School | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,452 | Good 2024 | 75 | Compare |
| Manshead Church of England Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,134 | Report card 2026 | 12 | Compare |
| Houstone School | Free school | 2.0 miles | 765 | No overall grade 2025 | 63 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Challney High School for Boys with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 84 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 84% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 79 to 88. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | +0.04 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 229 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well above | +0.34 | Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well above | +0.22 | DfE progress measure; 229 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.03 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.04 | 2024/25; 1,232 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.01 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 229 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.03 | 234 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Challney High School for Boys a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Challney High School for Boys scores 84 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 69% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 79 to 88, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Challney High School for Boys's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Challney High School for Boys outstanding at its last full inspection on 7 November 2023.
How good are Challney High School for Boys's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 54% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 47.7, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Challney High School for Boys have?
1,197 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,212 places, so it is 99% full. It is a boys' school.
Is Challney High School for Boys oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Challney High School for Boys?
Pupils were in school 93.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Challney High School for Boys?
The average class had 25.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 15% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Challney High School for Boys have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 95% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Stoneygate Road, Luton, LU4 9TJ
- Telephone
- 01582 599921
- Website
- www.challneyboys.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Mark Mailer
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Boys
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Chiltern Learning Trust (21 schools)
- Local authority
- Luton
- Ward
- Challney
- Constituency
- Luton North
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 136651 · LAESTAB 8214102 · UKPRN 10033368
- Formerly
- Challney High School for Boys and Community College
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.