Priory Academy, Dunstable
Priory Academy is an all-through school for pupils aged 9 to 16 in Dunstable, part of Scholars' Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 5 schools in Dunstable with published results, and 2,333rd of 3,298 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Capacity
- 96% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Priory Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Priory Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Central Bedfordshire and 47 across England.
45% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Central Bedfordshire and 47% in England.
That is down from 46.2 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.21: 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 30.5, against 44.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.
Getting a place at Priory Academy
Across Central Bedfordshire, 91% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 96% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Central Bedfordshire lodged 144 appeals against secondary school offers; 129 reached a hearing and 35 succeeded (27.1% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Priory Academy are Queensbury Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.4); All Saints Academy Dunstable (1 mile, Inadequate, Attainment 8 35.7); Manshead Church of England Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.9); and The Chalk Hills Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.8).
Priory Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Queensbury AcademyAll Saints Academy DunstableManshead Church of England AcademyThe Chalk Hills Academy
The trust
Priory Academy is one of 13 schools run by Scholars' Education Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 93 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
14.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leagrave Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lover's Walk (opposite), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 254 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 Central Bedfordshire (47), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Priory Academy issued 56 suspensions, 6.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Priory Academy are Watling Lower School (0.3 miles), Dunstable Icknield Lower School (0.4 miles), Ardley Hill Academy (0.6 miles) and St. Augustine's Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Watling Lower SchoolDunstable Icknield Lower SchoolArdley Hill AcademySt. Augustine's Academy
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2017 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
14.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.23 to -0.21 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 49.1 to 42.0 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 52% to 45% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 42.0 | 45% |
| Disadvantaged(22) | - | 30.5 | 36.4% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(87) | - | 44.9 | 47.1% |
| Boys(61) | - | 41.4 | 45.9% |
| Girls(48) | - | 42.7 | 43.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(19) | - | 51.3 | 57.9% |
| Non mobile(107) | - | 42.7 | 45.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 93 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
56
Suspensions
6.93%
Suspension rate
30 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 808 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby all-through schools
Keep up with Priory Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Priory Academy.
- Dunstable Kumon Centre520m away · Not yet graded
- Dunstable Learning Centre580m away · Not yet graded
- Kidz Zone Club670m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Priory Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Priory Academy is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 71
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 71 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 58 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 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
Will you get a place at Priory Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Priory Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Priory Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Priory Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- How many families in Central Bedfordshire 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
96%
Near capacity
806 pupils
840 places
34 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dunstable
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dunstable
Across Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
1,710
Applications
1,502
Got 1st preference
91.0%
Got preferred school
95.9%
All secondary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
103
SEN Support
50
EHC Plans
18.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
830
Total Pupils
436
Boys
394
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
46
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,074
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,130
Per pupil
£5192k
Total funding
£128k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.3%
Overall absence
17.7%
Persistent absence
821
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
Priory Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Priory Academy
What are GCSE results like at Priory Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Priory Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42. 45% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Priory Academy's Ofsted rating?
Priory Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Priory Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Priory Academy is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Priory Academy?
Priory Academy was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Priory Academy?
Classes at Priory Academy average 24.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Priory Academy?
Priory Academy has around 830 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Priory Academy?
7.3% of sessions were missed at Priory Academy in 2024/25. 17.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Priory Academy?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Priory Academy 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.
Does Priory Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Priory Academy: Dunstable Kumon Centre (520m away, registered, not yet graded), Dunstable Learning Centre (580m away, registered, not yet graded) and Kidz Zone Club (670m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Priory Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 71 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 12 serious and 58 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Priory Academy?
Priory Academy is at Priory Academy, Britain Street, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU5 4JA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)