Houghton Regis school ‘very proud’ of ‘good’ Ofsted rating

Houstone School, part of the Advantage Schools trust, was visited by inspectors in May 2025 - for the first time since it opened in 2022.

The report, published last week, described the school as “a calm, safe place for pupils to study and work hard”.

Pupils at the secondary school were praised for living up to the “school’s high expectations of behaviour and achievement”.

The school “faced a variety of complex challenges” in the time that it has been open, with “some pupils [arriving] at the school with significant gaps in their knowledge and understanding”.

The inspectors explained: “Pupils’ achievement in the most recent set of published outcomes does not represent the current high-quality curriculum on offer.

“The school has acted with integrity and determination to embed their high standards of achievement and behaviour while growing the school and building leadership capacity.”

A spokesperson for the school said: “We are very proud of what the team at Houstone School has achieved in just three years.

“This report recognises the exceptional commitment to ensuring that Houstone School achieves its mission of providing an excellent education for all pupils in Houghton Regis”.

Despite protests by a small group of people during the inspection over the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision at the school, the inspectors said it was “working well”.

The report stated: “Staff get accurate information about pupils’ needs, which helps them to adapt their lessons effectively. Well-targeted, intensive help, for instance with reading and numeracy, enables pupils to catch up and keep up with their peers.

“Pupils have access appropriate counselling and support should they need it. In class, pupils with SEND benefit from the positive learning atmosphere and quality teaching.”

While most staff support pupils to learn well, the report stated: “...Some staff do not quickly spot pupils who need extra help, guidance or practice. In these instances, pupils do not learn as well as they could.”

This was identified as an area of improvement, with Ofsted’s recommendations stating: “The school should ensure staff spot where pupils need further help to be successful with their learning in a timely and effective way.”

In class, Ofsted noted that pupils were “free to learn, uninterrupted by poor behaviour”. Pupils were described as being “polite, hardworking and want[ing] to live up to the school’s expectations”.

Principal, Elizabeth English said: "We are delighted with the outcome of this inspection, which recognises the hard work, integrity, and care shown by our school community. We are proud of our pupils and how they rise to the high expectations we set together.

“I also acknowledge that the report does identify some areas we need to be better at; I resolve to do this in partnership with staff, pupils and parents."

The inspectors added: “Pupils have a good understanding of important topics such as finance, careers and different faiths and beliefs. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps.”