Denbigh High School, Luton
Denbigh High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Luton, part of Chiltern Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the highest of the 14 schools in Luton with published results, and 547th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 2 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- 2 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Luton (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Denbigh High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Denbigh High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Luton and 47 across England.
60% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Luton and 47% in England.
That is up from 52.6 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.8: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 52.4, against 55.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 2.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Sports Studies.
Getting a place at Denbigh High School
For September 2026 entry, 426 families put Denbigh High School as their first choice and 1007 named it as one of their preferences, for 208 places offered. That is 2 first choices for every place. 222 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Denbigh High School are Stopsley High School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.9); Icknield High School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); The Stockwood Park Academy (1.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 36.9); and Chiltern Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 52.4).
Denbigh High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Stopsley High SchoolIcknield High SchoolThe Stockwood Park AcademyChiltern Academy
The trust
Denbigh High School is one of 21 schools run by Chiltern Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.5 in 2024/25.
What parents say
94 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Denbigh High School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 220 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 95% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 14% to a further education college and 1% to an apprenticeship.
Who goes there
80.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Luton Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dorrington Close (near), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 787 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Luton (296), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Denbigh High School issued 74 suspensions, 6.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Denbigh High School are River Bank Primary School (0.2 miles), Denbigh Primary School (0.4 miles), Beech Hill Community Primary School (0.5 miles) and Maidenhall Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
River Bank Primary SchoolDenbigh Primary SchoolBeech Hill Community Primary SchoolMaidenhall Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its December 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
33.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
94 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.80 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 52.2 to 54.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 48% to 60% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 54.3 | 60.2% |
| Disadvantaged(64) | - | 52.4 | 53.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(162) | - | 55.1 | 63% |
| Boys(109) | - | 55.2 | 62.4% |
| Girls(117) | - | 53.5 | 58.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(195) | - | 54.6 | 61% |
| Non mobile(223) | - | 54.5 | 60.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 220 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.18%
Exclusion rate
74
Suspensions
6.59%
Suspension rate
67 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,123 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Denbigh High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Denbigh High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Denbigh High School is in Luton; for families living there:
- Luton's school travel policy: Travel assistance policy for 0 to 25 year olds in education
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 43
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 34 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot.
11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Luton is 28 (the median across 79 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Denbigh High School
Will you get a place at Denbigh High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Denbigh High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Denbigh High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Denbigh High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Luton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Denbigh High School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Luton got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
1,121 pupils
1,120 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Luton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Luton
Across Luton council
Places available
3,303
Applications
2,972
Got 1st preference
82.8%
Got preferred school
95.5%
All secondary applications across Luton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 2 first choices per place
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
125
SEN Support
60
EHC Plans
16.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,130
Total Pupils
576
Boys
554
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
73
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,005
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,242
Per pupil
£8723k
Total funding
£366k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
15.3%
Persistent absence
1,147
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Denbigh High School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Denbigh High School
What are GCSE results like at Denbigh High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Denbigh High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 54.3. 60% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Denbigh High School's Ofsted rating?
Denbigh High School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023.
What is the catchment area for Denbigh High School?
No fixed boundary. When Denbigh High School is oversubscribed, Luton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Denbigh High School?
Denbigh High School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Denbigh High School?
Classes at Denbigh High School average 24.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Denbigh High School?
Denbigh High School has around 1130 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Denbigh High School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Denbigh High School in 2024/25. 15.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Denbigh High School?
Apply through Luton's coordinated admissions process, naming Denbigh High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Denbigh High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 43 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 34 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot. 11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Luton is 28 (the median across 79 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Denbigh High School?
Denbigh High School is at Alexandra Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 1HE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)