Denbigh High School

About Denbigh High School

Denbigh High School is a mixed state secondary in Luton with a current roll of 1,123 pupils against a total capacity of 1,700, meaning there is room for growth. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 14.2 per cent, which is below the national average for secondary schools and suggests a relatively less disadvantaged intake compared with many urban comprehensives. Demand for places is high: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 1,149 applications for 258 places, an oversubscription ratio of 4.45 to one. Of those applicants, 295 put Denbigh as their first preference, and 224 first-preference offers were made. This level of competition signals strong local confidence in the school, particularly given that Luton has 14 state secondaries and only three hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. Denbigh itself was rated Good in its most recent graded inspection in 2019, and an ungraded inspection in November 2024 confirmed that standards are being maintained.

Academically, Denbigh performs well above the local authority average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.3 is classified as 'Above average' and compares very favourably with the Luton average of 0.03. In the East of England, it ranks 89th out of 350 schools on this measure, and nationally it sits in the top 27 per cent of all schools. The Attainment 8 score is 55.6, and 81.2 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, with 64.4 per cent reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 5.36, and 72 per cent of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. Progress in maths is notably strong, with a Progress 8 maths score of 0.6, while English progress is flat at -0.01. At A-level, the school has a sixth form with 211 students, achieving an average grade of C per entry and a value-added score of -0.03, which is in line with the national average. In Luton, Denbigh ranks 4th out of 11 schools on Progress 8.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a theatre, science labs, art studios, a sports hall, astro turf, tennis courts and playing fields, plus a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, swimming, rugby and cricket, and clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to Model UN and Young Enterprise. SEND provision covers nine categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses from 212 families in the 2024/25 period show 86 per cent would recommend the school, with strong majorities agreeing that children are happy, safe and well-behaved. However, SEND support is a more mixed area: 58 per cent of parents agreed their child gets the support needed, but 42 per cent disagreed. Denbigh suits families who want a large, oversubscribed school with strong academic progress, particularly in maths, and a wide choice of extracurricular activities, but those with SEND children may want to investigate further.

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