Henlow Church of
England Academy

Headteacher's Welcome

Henlow Church of England Academy opened as a middle school (Years 5 - 8) in 1976 and established itself as a popular choice for pupils in the 3 tier offer in Central Bedfordshire. As the area now moves towards a primary/secondary model, Henlow is at the forefront of this change as a thriving secondary school (Years 7 - 11). The journey has been an incredible one for our community and I am proud to welcome you to join us as we take our next steps.

The surrounding countryside has always been a wonderful feature of our setting but the buildings themselves have been transformed in recent years. If you have visited before, be prepared for a few surprises, including a brand new 2 storey building with a four court sports hall, large classrooms and incredible science laboratories. However, it may be the transformation of the original buildings that takes your breath away - the old gym has become a auditorium, a food technology suite and graphics facilities impress upstairs and the new library (Henlow Hub) dominates the centre of the school. I hope the descriptions and photographs convince you to come and visit to see the incredible developments for yourself.

As a secondary school we now have superb facilities and offer a curriculum full of possibilities designed to develop the interests of our young people. As they progress throughout the school they begin selecting which areas they wish to pursue further in Years 7 and 8. They have an increased choice alongside a community option in Year 9 and ultimately those subjects they wish to focus on at GCSE level. Our commitment in our curriculum and staffing matches the investment in our new buildings. In addition, our secondary Heads of Department have considerable experience at teaching GCSE. We are excited that our first Year 10 students have just started Key Stage 4 and in the summer of 2024 they will receive their GCSE exam results.

I have focussed on the uplifting ways in which Henlow Church of England Academy has changed as it has become a secondary school but my final points draw attention to what hasn’t changed. As a community our ambition is driven by our ethos - every young person deserves to enjoy their learning by receiving the right blend of nurture and challenge. A genuine warmth and sense of community defines our approach and underpins all aspects of Henlow life. As teenagers make important decisions about the person that they ultimately want to become, we build positive relationships with them and ensure that they are supported to be the fully rounded person they hope to be.

In 2021 Henlow Academy became the founding member of Poppy Hill Multi Academy Trust which now includes Meppershall Academy. We enjoy strong links with our feeder schools which are now primaries, the Diocese of St Albans and a wide number of community and charity organisations. The SIAMS inspection of 2017 was ‘Outstanding’ and Ofsted inspections have been consistently ‘Good’ including in 2019 where our balance between personal development and academic achievement was highlighted. I hope this prospectus and our website encourage you to come and meet us and experience life at Henlow.

Caren Earp
Head Teacher