School profile

Queensbury Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Dunstable, LU6 3BU

Requires improvement

Map showing Queensbury Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,450 of 3,312

Worse than 73% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,941 of 2,536

Worse than 76% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Queensbury Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 22 Oct 2024

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 19
Pupils1,093
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Helen Palmer
TrustANTHEM SCHOOLS TRUST
Local authorityCentral Bedfordshire
Opened01 Sept 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138571.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.41.4, worse than England, similar to Central Bedfordshire43.246.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.60.6%, worse than England, similar to Central Bedfordshire61.7%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.38.9%, worse than England, similar to Central Bedfordshire41.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.9.4%, worse than England, similar to Central Bedfordshire10%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths50.7%, worse than England, worse than Central Bedfordshire55.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4203--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.28.93, worse than England, worse than Central Bedfordshire32.6835
Average A-level gradeC--
Average points, best three A-levels29.12, worse than England, worse than Central Bedfordshire34.2535.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC--
AAB or better3.5%, worse than England, worse than Central Bedfordshire14.4%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.02, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study84--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.c--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,093
Girls530
Boys563
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.15.7%
First language not English22.2%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,260
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.13.3%
Sixth form places2024/25210
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.133
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.33
Average class size23.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
58.2%
Other White
15.2%
African
4.4%
Indian
3.8%
White and Black Caribbean
3.7%
White and Asian
2.5%
Other mixed
2.4%
Caribbean
1.8%
White and Black African
1.7%
Other Asian
1.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.4
Teachers (FTE)62.5
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.53
Support staff (FTE)38.35
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2571.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2558.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/256.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.190
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.356
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.173
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.173
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)6
Offers made (Year 9)2025/26Places offered on national offer day.1
Applications (Year 9)2025/26Includes every preference parents listed.5
First preference applications (Year 9)2025/26Families who put this school as their first choice.1
First preference offers (Year 9)2025/26First-choice applicants who were offered a place.1
Applications from another local authority (Year 9)2025/265

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolCentral BedfordshireEngland
Overall absence8.1%, similar to England, worse than Central Bedfordshire7.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.21.1%, similar to England, worse than Central Bedfordshire18.7%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4%, similar to England, worse than Central Bedfordshire3%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate28.9%
Pupils with one or more suspensions9.7%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions4

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.88.3%
Further education52.2%
School sixth form29.3%
Sixth form college5.4%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5.4%
Apprenticeship2.9%
Employment1.5%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.90.5%
Higher education44%
Employment38.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9.5%
Apprenticeship6%
Further education2.4%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Queensbury Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryLark Rise AcademyAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryDunstable Icknield Lower SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimaryWatling Lower SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimaryAshton St Peter's VA C of E SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryArdley Hill AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miAll-throughPriory AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryLancot SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimaryBeecroft AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miNurseryWestfield Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
1.1 miPrimarySt. Augustine's AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Queensbury Academy

What is Queensbury Academy's Ofsted rating?

Queensbury Academy is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 22 Oct 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Queensbury Academy rank in England?

Queensbury Academy ranks 2,450 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 73% of schools) and 1,941 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 76% of schools).

What are Queensbury Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 38.9% of pupils at Queensbury Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.4 (England 46.2).

What are Queensbury Academy's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Queensbury Academy was C, and 3.5% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Queensbury Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Queensbury Academy made 190 offers from 356 applications (1.9 per offer), and 173 of 173 first-preference applicants got a place. For Year 9 entry in 2025/26, it made 1 offers from 5 applications (5 per offer), and 1 of 1 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Queensbury Academy?

Queensbury Academy has 1,093 pupils aged 11 to 19.

What is the capacity of Queensbury Academy?

Queensbury Academy had 1,260 school places in 2024/25.

Does Queensbury Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Queensbury Academy has a sixth form with 210 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Queensbury Academy?

At Queensbury Academy, the average class had 23.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Queensbury Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Queensbury Academy missed 8.1% of sessions (England 8%), and 21.1% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.