Houlton School
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Houlton School is a free school in Rugby for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 895 pupils and room for 1,000. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 36 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 9% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Signal Drive, Houlton, Rugby, CV23 1ED01788 593300houltonschool.org.ukMr Paul Brockwell headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 27 February 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
0 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
The government hasn't published this school's headline results. Fewer than eleven pupils sat the exams, so the figures could identify individual children.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
189 places were empty (21% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 297% since 2021/22.
The last child to get a place lived 3.1 miles away in 2025, 2.8 miles away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2025. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 3.1 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Secondary | – | – | 3.1 miles | LA |
| 2024 Secondary | 180 | 180 | 2.8 miles | LA |
The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.
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: Moderate learning difficulty (45), Autistic spectrum disorder (42), language and communications needs (33), emotional and mental health (25), Specific learning difficulty (23), Vision impairment (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 895 | 710 | 541 | 358 | 180 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 20% | 20% | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 15% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 13% | 13% | 13% | 21% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.0% 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 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.0% | 8.5% | 6.8% | 6.7% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.4% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 6.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.7% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.8% | 22.8% | 18.6% | 17.6% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 31.0 | 32.9 | 13.7 | 6.1 | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashlawn School | Academy | 1.9 miles | 1,564 | No overall grade 2025 | 59 | Compare |
| Lawrence Sheriff School | Academy (grammar) | 2.8 miles | 1,200 | Outstanding 2022 | 99 | Compare |
| Rugby Free Secondary School | Free school | 3.2 miles | 1,168 | Report card 2026 | 48 | Compare |
| Harris Church of England Academy | Academy | 3.5 miles | 858 | Good 2022 | 49 | Compare |
| The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College | Foundation | 3.8 miles | 1,096 | Good 2023 | 40 | Compare |
| Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre | Secure units | 3.8 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Rugby High School | Academy (grammar) | 4.3 miles | 927 | Good 2022 | 94 | Compare |
| Bilton School | Academy | 4.6 miles | 1,127 | Report card 2026 | 11 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Houlton School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Houlton School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lutterworth High School | Academy | 6.0 miles | 849 | Good 2024 | 73 | Compare |
| Hastings High School | Academy | 13.7 miles | 890 | Good 2023 | 67 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 36 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 36% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 20 to 58. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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 | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.04 | Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.31 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.04 | 2024/25; 741 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| 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 Houlton School a good school?
It is about average. Houlton School scores 36 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 9% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 20 to 58, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Houlton School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Houlton School good at its last full inspection on 27 February 2024.
How many pupils does Houlton School have?
895 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,000 places, so it is 90% full.
Is Houlton School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2025 the last place went to a child living 3.1 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Houlton School?
Pupils were in school 92.0% 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 Houlton School?
The average class had 28.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 39% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Houlton School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Signal Drive, Houlton, Rugby, CV23 1ED
- Telephone
- 01788 593300
- Website
- www.houltonschool.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul Brockwell
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Transforming Lives Educational Trust (3 schools)
- Local authority
- Warwickshire
- Ward
- Hillmorton
- Constituency
- Rugby
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2021 (new provision)
- URN
- 143707 · LAESTAB 9374010 · UKPRN 10088815
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.
- Admissions outcomes: Warwickshire council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2024, 2025.
- 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.