Icknield High School, Luton
Icknield High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Luton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 14 schools in Luton with published results, and 1,247th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- 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 26 Oct 2026
Icknield High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Icknield High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Luton and 47 across England.
56% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Luton and 47% in England.
That is down from 49.4 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.54: 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 44, against 50.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.2 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Art and Design, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at Icknield High School
For September 2026 entry, 238 families put Icknield High School as their first choice and 723 named it as one of their preferences, for 292 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 16 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Icknield High School are Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 49.8); Stopsley High School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 43.9); Denbigh High School (1.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 54.3); and Lea Manor High School (1.3 miles, Attainment 8 42.3).
Icknield High School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science CollegeStopsley High SchoolDenbigh High SchoolLea Manor High School
Where pupils go next
Of the 277 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 16% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 0% into work.
Who goes there
27.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (79%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 165 pupils (11.4%) received SEN support and 39 (2.7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Icknield High School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Icknield High School (adjacent), 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Icknield High School issued 333 suspensions, 23 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Icknield High School are Icknield Primary School (0.3 miles), William Austin Infant School (0.4 miles), Warden Hill Junior School (0.4 miles) and William Austin Junior School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Icknield Primary SchoolWilliam Austin Infant SchoolWarden Hill Junior SchoolWilliam Austin Junior School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 Good at its February 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Icknield High School is a state funded, non-denominational secondary academy school catering for pupils aged between 11 and 16 in Luton, Bedfordshire.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
27.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Hearing
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.37 to 0.54 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 48.0 to 48.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 52% to 56% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 48.3 | 56.1% |
| Disadvantaged(88) | - | 44.0 | 46.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(197) | - | 50.2 | 60.4% |
| Boys(139) | - | 47.7 | 58.3% |
| Girls(146) | - | 48.9 | 54.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(83) | - | 43.3 | 47% |
| Non mobile(281) | - | 48.4 | 56.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 277 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.21%
Exclusion rate
333
Suspensions
23.03%
Suspension rate
162 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,446 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Icknield High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Icknield High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Icknield 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 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 Icknield High School
Will you get a place at Icknield High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Icknield High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Icknield High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Icknield 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 Icknield 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
1,455 pupils
1,450 places
5 pupils 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
165
SEN Support
39
EHC Plans
14.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Icknield High School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,452
Total Pupils
692
Boys
760
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
83
Teachers
17.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,706
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,001
Per pupil
£10848k
Total funding
£402k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.6%
Overall absence
21.2%
Persistent absence
1,509
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
Icknield High School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Icknield High School
What are GCSE results like at Icknield High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Icknield High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 48.3. 56% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Icknield High School's Ofsted rating?
Icknield High School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024.
What is the catchment area for Icknield High School?
No fixed boundary. When Icknield 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 Icknield High School?
Icknield 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 Icknield High School?
Classes at Icknield High School average 23.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Icknield High School?
Icknield High School has around 1452 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Icknield High School have specialist SEN provision?
Icknield High School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment.
What is attendance like at Icknield High School?
7.6% of sessions were missed at Icknield High School in 2024/25. 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Icknield High School?
Apply through Luton's coordinated admissions process, naming Icknield 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 Icknield High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 13 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 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 Icknield High School?
Icknield High School is at Riddy Lane, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 2AH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)