Henlow Church of England Academy
Church Road, Henlow, SG16 6ANOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Henlow Church of England Academy is a secondary school in Henlow for ages 9 to 16. It is one of the 134 schools in Central Bedfordshire. It ranks 9th of 14 secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 29 April 2025, report published 8 June 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 29 April 2025
Pupils welcome the school's friendly and inclusive culture. The HENLOW values of honesty, enthusiasm, nurture, originality and wisdom are evident in the positive relationships reflected in daily school life. Pupils are expected to work hard and to behave well. Most pupils rise to these expectations. Typically, they achieve at least as well as others nationally by the end of Year 11. Those who need extra help are supported to improve. Pupils feel safe. They know that staff will assist if they are worried. Pupils are taught to make safe choices, including when using social media and playing games online. They socialise well together. Bullying is rare. If it happens, it is dealt with appropriately. Pupils benefit from a curriculum which allows them to develop personally as well as achieve academically. Most pupils enjoy their learning and the wider opportunities on offer. They are proud of their responsibilities, such as being prefects and pupil librarians. The pupil-led 'school action group' represents its peers' views to leaders. In these roles, pupils contribute positively to the school community, while building leadership and teamwork skills. The curriculum ensures that pupils are prepared well for their next stage in education, employment and/or training.
What the school should improve
- In a few instances, the school does not use all the information available to adapt learning activities closely enough to pupils' different abilities. This means that, at times, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff use information about pupils to match activities more closely to their abilities.
- The delivery of the school's PSHE programme is inconsistent. Consequently, pupils sometimes miss important connections, so they do not benefit fully from the different strands of their learning. The school should make sure that teachers are confident to deliver the PSHE programme so that pupils deepen their understanding across all aspects of the personal development offer.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
86 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
599 pupils on roll, with places for 900
Schools near Henlow Church of England Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Whitbread Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 46.7 |
| Stratton School | 4 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Attainment 8: 38.9 |
| Fearnhill School | 4 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Attainment 8: 38.9 |
| Edward Peake CofE VC School | 5 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | 4% met the expected standard |
| St Francis College | 5 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 56.9 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- POPPY HILL CHURCH OF ENGLAND MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 9 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Miss Naomi Chalkley
- Phone
- 01462813733
- Address
- Church Road, Henlow, SG16 6AN
- Local authority
- Central Bedfordshire
- URN
- 138027
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.