Icknield High SchoolCardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Luton.
Summary of the comparison
Icknield High School and Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College are secondary schools in Luton.
Icknield High School scores 67 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average). Icknield High School is ahead on our composite score.
Icknield High School was judged Good and Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 48.3 for Icknield High School and 49.8 for Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Icknield High School (52.1 in 2021-22, 48.3 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College (51.2 in 2021-22, 49.8 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | LutonIcknield High School | LutonCardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C67/100Stronger figure | C65/100 | |
| Local ranking | 4th of 13 in Luton Stronger figure | 6th of 13 in Luton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,452 | 1,655 | |
| Capacity | 1,445 | 1,400 | |
| Location | Luton, LU3 2AH | Luton, LU2 7AE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 48.3 | 49.8 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 56.1% Stronger figure | 43.4% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 72.3% Stronger figure | 69.9% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 285 | 286 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 111 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 36.1 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 36.4 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 16.3% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,446 | 1,641 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 26.3% | 18.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 32.0% | 30.5% | |
| SEN support | 11.1% | 11.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.2% | 4.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.6% | 6.5% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 21.2% | 17.0% 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.
Icknield High School
Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College
Full profiles: Icknield High School · Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College