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 56 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Priory Academy scores 60 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 47.8 for Harlington Upper School and 46.2 for Priory Academy.

  • GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Harlington Upper School (49.0 in 2021-22, 47.8 in 2024-25) and has fallen at Priory Academy (53.7 in 2021-22, 46.2 in 2024-25).

Side-by-side comparison

Harlington Upper School versus Priory Academy compared on inspection, results, pupils and attendance.
Measure DunstableHarlington Upper SchoolDunstablePriory AcademyEngland average
Overview
Our scoreC56/100C60/100Stronger figure
Local ranking9th of 26 in Central Bedfordshire 5th of 26 in Central Bedfordshire Stronger figure
InspectionOfsted: GoodOfsted: Good
School typeAcademy converter Academy converter
PhaseSecondary All-through
Age range13-18 9-16
GenderMixed Mixed
Pupils on roll1,198 808
Capacity1,360 700
LocationDunstable, LU5 6NX Dunstable, LU5 4JA
GCSE results
Attainment 847.8 Stronger figure46.2 46.0
Grade 5+ in English & maths48.4% 49.5% Stronger figure45.4%
Grade 4+ in English & maths75.6% Stronger figure69.9% 64.8%
Entering EBacc33.7% Stronger figure30.1% 40.5%
EBacc average point score4.22 Stronger figure4.08 4.09
Cohort279 103
Key Stage 2 (SATs)
Reading, writing & maths at expected standardNot reported65.0% 62.0%
At higher standardNot reported7.0% 8.0%
Reading average scaled scoreNot reported105.0 106.0
Maths average scaled scoreNot reported104.0 105.0
A-level results
A-level entries187 Not reported
A-level average points31.4 Not reported35.0
A-level average gradeC Not reported
Best 3 A-levels points32.6 Not reported35.8
AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects17.4% Not reported17.5%
Pupils
Pupils in the census1,198 808
Free school meals (ever 6)12.9% 13.7%
English as an additional language4.1% 16.7%
SEN support10.4% 10.8%
SEN with an EHC plan2.4% 5.2%
Attendance
Overall absence7.8% 7.3% Stronger figure6.2%
Persistent absence19.6% 17.7% Stronger figure15.8%

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