Harlington Upper SchoolPriory Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Dunstable.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares Harlington Upper School and Priory Academy in Dunstable.
Harlington Upper School scores 55 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Priory Academy scores 57 out of 100 (grade C, average). Priory Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Harlington Upper School was judged Good and Priory Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.1 for Harlington Upper School and 42.0 for Priory Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Harlington Upper School (49.0 in 2021-22, 46.1 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Priory Academy (53.7 in 2021-22, 42.0 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | DunstableHarlington Upper School | DunstablePriory Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C55/100 | C57/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 9th of 26 in Central Bedfordshire | 7th of 26 in Central Bedfordshire Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | All-through | |
| Age range | 13-18 | 9-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,156 | 830 | |
| Capacity | 1,360 | 700 | |
| Location | Dunstable, LU5 6NX | Dunstable, LU5 4JA | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.1 Stronger figure | 42.0 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 45.9% Stronger figure | 45.0% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 67.7% Stronger figure | 58.7% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 279 | 109 | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | Not reported | 65.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | Not reported | 7.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | Not reported | 105.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | Not reported | 104.0 | 105.0 |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 187 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 31.4 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 32.6 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 17.4% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,198 | 808 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 12.9% | 13.7% | |
| English as an additional language | 4.1% | 16.7% | |
| SEN support | 10.4% | 10.8% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.4% | 5.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.8% | 7.3% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 19.6% | 17.7% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Harlington Upper School
Priory Academy
Full profiles: Harlington Upper School · Priory Academy