Luton infant school re-opens as academy after Ofsted approval

Warden Hill Infant School, part of the Pioneer Learning Trust, has been replaced with Warden Hill Infant Academy – Lisa Maxted is still the headteacher.

The academy, in Birdsfood Lane, is for children aged between four and seven and has space for 360 pupils.

Since it has been less than two weeks since the academy officially opened, there is no Ofsted rating for it yet.

However, when the former school was rated in May 2024, Ofsted inspectors handed it an ‘requires improvement’ rating.

Schools can apply to the Government to become an academy under the Academies Act 2010.

When a school converts to academy status, the existing school closes and the new one opens in its place.

While the school may look the same, and be in the same building, the ‘academy converter’ becomes its own legal entity.