Henlow Church of England Academy, Henlow

In its own words: "I am delighted to welcome you to Henlow Church of England Academy, a thriving secondary school nestled in the tranquil Bedfordshire countryside. It is my immense privilege to lead a community where our vision is centred on the success and well-being of every student."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, gymnastics, basketball, cross-country, dance, orchestra, ukulele and cheerleading.

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:15am and after-school care, from £2.00 per day.

Coming up: an open day on Sunday 13 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Henlow Church of England Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Central Bedfordshire and 47 across England.

30% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Central Bedfordshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 42.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.23: pupils made below 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 34.1, against 42.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 173 families put Henlow Church of England Academy as their first choice and 199 named it as one of their preferences, for 177 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Henlow Church of England Academy are Samuel Whitbread Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.7); Etonbury Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.8); Pix Brook Academy (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6); and Robert Bloomfield Academy (2.6 miles, Outstanding).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Henlow Church of England Academy.

Henlow Church of England Academy is one of 2 schools run by Poppy Hill Church of England Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

134 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Henlow Church of England Academy (as of September 2025): 80% would recommend the school, 82% say their child is happy there and 66% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (82%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (66%).

Of the 92 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 45% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

4.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (9%).

In 2026, 97 pupils (16.2%) received SEN support and 54 (9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Arlesey Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is War Memorial (adjacent), 310 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 24 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47).

In 2024/25, Henlow Church of England Academy issued 82 suspensions, 13.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Henlow Church of England Academy are Raynsford Church of England Academy (0.1 miles), Clifton All Saints Academy (0.9 miles), Derwent Primary School (1.6 miles) and Gothic Mede Academy (1.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.