Best Schools in Luton

How many schools are there in Luton?

Luton has 86 open schools: 52 state primary, 14 state secondary or all-through, 6 independent, 5 special and 9 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Luton are rated Outstanding?

12 schools in Luton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Tennyson Road Primary School, Woodlands Secondary School, Farley Junior Academy, Denbigh High School, Hillborough Junior School and 7 more. Counting Good as well, 97% of the 75 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Tennyson Road Primary SchoolWoodlands Secondary SchoolFarley Junior AcademyDenbigh High SchoolHillborough Junior School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Luton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 14 schools in Luton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Denbigh High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.3 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Chiltern Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.4 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Challney High School for Girls, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.5 and 56% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Denbigh High SchoolChiltern AcademyChallney High School for Girls

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Luton have the best SATs results?

Of the 41 primary schools in Luton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Hillborough Junior School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); Leagrave Primary School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); and Slip End Village School (100% in reading, 83% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Hillborough Junior SchoolLeagrave Primary SchoolSlip End Village School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Luton?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Luton selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Luton have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Luton have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Luton?

Apply to your council - Luton, Central Bedfordshire or Hertfordshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.