School profile

Chiltern Academy

Secondary · Free schools · Luton, LU1 3GF

Good

Map showing Chiltern Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#700 of 3,312

Better than 78% of schools in England

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

Chiltern Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 2 Feb 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,203
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Ian Douglas
TrustCHILTERN LEARNING TRUST
Local authorityLuton
Opened01 Sept 2018
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 145872.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolLutonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.52.4, better than England-46.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.72.8%, better than England-64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.62.8%, better than England-46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.16.7%, better than England-14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths70.3%, better than England-60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4239--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,203
Girls576
Boys627
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.38.2%
First language not English40.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,200
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.148
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.26
Average class size24

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

Other White
21%
Pakistani
16.5%
White British
12.2%
Bangladeshi
9.9%
African
7.1%
Other Asian
6.3%
Other mixed
6.2%
Other ethnic group
5%
Indian
3.3%
Caribbean
3.3%

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 teacher15.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.8
Teachers (FTE)77.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)18.72
Support staff (FTE)36.95
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2574.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2565.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/257.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/251.8

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.228
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.652
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.272
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.204
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)10

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 schoolLutonEngland
Overall absence6.2%, better than England-8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.16.2%, better than England-21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.5%, better than England-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 rate11.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.6%
Permanent exclusions7

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.89.9%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.86.6%
Sixth form college36.1%
Further education29%
School sixth form20.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5%
Apprenticeship1.7%
Employment1.7%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 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 Chiltern Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryThe Linden AcademyFree schools
Good
0.4 miPrimaryCutenhoe Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miNurseryHart Hill Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryTennyson Road Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.7 miNot applicableOakwood Primary SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.7 miPrimaryCrawley Green Infant SchoolFoundation school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryWenlock CofE AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
0.8 miNurseryChapel Street Nursery SchoolLocal authority nursery school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryHillborough Junior SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
1.0 miPrimaryHillborough Infant and Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Chiltern Academy

What is Chiltern Academy's Ofsted rating?

Chiltern Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 2 Feb 2023.

How does Chiltern Academy rank in England?

Chiltern Academy ranks 700 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 78% of schools).

What are Chiltern Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 62.8% of pupils at Chiltern Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 52.4 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Chiltern Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Chiltern Academy made 228 offers from 652 applications (2.9 per offer), and 204 of 272 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Chiltern Academy?

Chiltern Academy has 1,203 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Chiltern Academy?

Chiltern Academy had 1,200 school places in 2024/25.

Does Chiltern Academy have a sixth form?

No, Chiltern Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Chiltern Academy?

At Chiltern Academy, the average class had 24 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Chiltern Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Chiltern Academy missed 6.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 16.2% 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.