Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 2 to 11
Ofsted judgements: Good

Angels Lane, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 5HHOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy is a primary school in Dunstable for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 134 schools in Central Bedfordshire. It ranks 16th of 19 primary schools in Dunstable. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 17 June 2025, report published 13 July 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
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 June 2025

Pupils at this school are welcoming, kind and enjoy their learning. Pupils greet you with a smile as you walk through the door, happy to chat about what they are learning. Pupils are ably supported to progress through their studies. Timely interventions help current pupils fill their gaps in learning. As a result of improvements since the previous inspection, pupils are catching up on the key knowledge needed to reach nationally expected standards by the end of Year 6. The talents and interests of the children are fostered, both in and outside of the classroom. There are many clubs, competitions and trips, as well as regular visits to perform at local care homes. Community spirit is highly valued. Pupils learn to cooperate and help as a result. Pupils feel safe. They are well cared for. They behave very well and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Staff know the pupils here and support for the pupils is strong. The schools' Christian values and ethos permeate all parts of school life. Pupils are encouraged to 'let their light shine'.

What the school should improve

  • Assessment information is not always used effectively in some subjects to understand pupils' progress. As a result, in some cases, pupil outcomes are not as strong as they should be. Leaders should ensure that all staff are using assessment effectively to identify misconceptions and improve pupil performance.
  • In some subjects, the school has not clearly identified the key knowledge that pupils need to learn, and the order in which this is done. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn important content. The school must ensure that the most important knowledge and skills that pupils must know is clearly identified.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

28 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths39%

39%, 23 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score103

103, 3 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score101

101, 4 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

206 pupils on roll, with places for 352

Eligible for free school meals36.4%

36.4%, 9.9 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language39.8%

39.8%, 18.2 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support13.6%

13.6%, 1.2 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan8.7%

8.7%, 2.7 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Houghton Regis Primary School0.3 milesOfsted judgements: Requires improvement to good36% met the expected standard
Tithe Farm Primary School0.3 milesOfsted judgements: Good41% met the expected standard
St Vincent's Catholic Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good73% met the expected standard
Lime Tree Primary Academy0.7 milesOfsted: Good57% met the expected standard
Thornhill Primary School0.9 milesOfsted judgements: Good to outstanding68% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
DIOCESE OF ST ALBANS MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
Age range
2 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mrs Natasha Chiswell
Address
Angels Lane, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 5HH
Local authority
Central Bedfordshire
URN
143850

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.