School Chooser

Wenlock CofE Academy

Primary · ages 7-11MixedAcademyChurch of England311 pupilsLuton
School Chooser Score
5
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 8
Out of 100. Better than 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, February 2026
Reached the expected level at 1130%England 63%
Attendance94.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families34%Far more than most schools
Parents would recommend87%23 Parent View responses
Places49 spare311 pupils, 360 places

Wenlock CofE Academy is a sponsored academy in Luton for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 311 pupils and room for 360. About 34 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 5 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in February 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Beaconsfield Road, Luton, LU2 0RW01582 730624wenlockacademy.co.ukMrs Rachel Clark headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 February 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
Needs attention
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
24 November 2021Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2Inadequate

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

79 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1130%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level1%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score101.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 64%64%20172018: 64%64%20182019: 74%74%20192023: 33%33%20232024: 33%33%20242025: 30%30%2025
Since 2017: -34%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023†2019†2018†2017†LutonEngland
Pupils tested799064707778
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths30%33%33%74%64%64%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths1%0%0%17%12%4%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score101.0101.0103.0106.0105.0104.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.098.0101.0107.0103.0105.0105.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.099.0103.0108.0105.0107.0106.4105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard65%58%73%83%74%72%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard46%41%64%86%70%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)37%44%34%83%79%79%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.9+1.1-0.2-2.5
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.7+1.3-0.9-0.8
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged23%32%27%64%62%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged35%33%38%80%65%72%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Wenlock CofE Junior School, the school this one replaced in February 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 3 of the 4 gaps are 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 the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
23%35%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
37%24%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
29%30%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%1%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

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

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places322 pupils for 360 places, 2024/25
89% full

About 38 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up.

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.

What parents say

Would recommend the school87%England 87%
My child is happy here87%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe96%
Positive overall86%
My child is happy at this school
87%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
96%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
83%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
35% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
75%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
83%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
30% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
72%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
87%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
74%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
78%England 82%
I would recommend this school
87%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
86%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 23 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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.

Pupils on roll311Census January 2026
Places36086% full
Pupils from low-income families34%34% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English36%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support24%74 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%14 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.25 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)36%£175,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls149 / 162
White British pupils21%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), emotional and mental health (28), Moderate learning difficulty (12), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Specific learning difficulty (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024
Pupils on roll311324350
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals34%33%30%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language36%36%34%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%20%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.6%6.2%7.8%7.6%3.4%4.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%4.7%5.9%6.0%2.6%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.5%1.9%1.6%0.9%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.5%19.4%28.0%25.6%7.6%14.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.57.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions000

† These attendance figures are for Wenlock CofE Junior School, the school this one replaced in February 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers14.8full-time equivalent, 16 people
Pupils per teacher21.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers94%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,238
Teachers who left in the year27%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.02024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,515England £7,128. Total £2.1m
Income per pupil£7,111England £7,587. Total £2.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,080England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £135k, £416 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£193kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,515spent per pupil

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

Crimes within 500 m30012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate57 per 1,000 people38% lower than the England average
Typical house price£310,000Luton
Nearest bus stop190 mRutland Crescent, 16 stops within 500 m

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 primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Crawley Green Infant SchoolFoundation60 m253No overall grade 202429Compare
St Matthew's Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles884Good 202346Compare
The Linden AcademyFree school0.8 miles427Good 202449Compare
Ramridge Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles472Good 202262Compare
Someries Junior SchoolCouncil1.0 miles238No overall grade 202456Compare
Someries Infant School and Early Childhood Education CentreFoundation1.0 miles321Outstanding 202298Compare
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles342Good 201971Compare
Wigmore PrimaryCouncil1.1 miles597Good 202432Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Wenlock CofE Academy 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.

Beats10%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 5 is 28 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 33 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Wenlock CofE Academy, 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.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Holtsmere End Junior SchoolCouncil7.5 miles237Good 202335Compare
Hammond AcademyAcademy8.2 miles308Good 202317Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 5 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 5% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 8. 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 atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%well below
-0.35
2025 and 2024 results; 79 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.12
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.48
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 79 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.29
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 364 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.24
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 79 pupils
What parents say5%in line
0.00
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 23 responses

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 Wenlock CofE Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Wenlock CofE Academy scores 5 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 8, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Wenlock CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 February 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Wenlock CofE Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 30% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 1% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Wenlock CofE Academy have?

311 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 360 places, so it is 86% full.

Is Wenlock CofE Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 38 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Wenlock CofE Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Wenlock CofE Academy?

87% of the 23 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 87% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Wenlock CofE Academy?

The average class had 29.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Beaconsfield Road, Luton, LU2 0RW
Telephone
01582 730624
Website
www.wenlockacademy.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Rachel Clark
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of St Albans
Multi-academy trust
Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust (15 schools)
Local authority
Luton
Ward
Vauxhall
Constituency
Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2023 (new provision)
URN
149542 · LAESTAB 8212010 · UKPRN 10091880
Formerly
Wenlock CofE Junior School

Where these figures come from