Putteridge High School
| Putteridge High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
Putteridge Road , , LU2 8HJ England 51°54′19″N 0°22′54″W / 51.905257°N 0.381785°W | |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | Every Individual Matters |
Local authority | Luton Borough Council |
| Trust | Chiltern Learning Trust |
| 144311 Tables | |
| Ofsted | Reports |
Headteacher | David Graham |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 11 to 16 |
| School Ethos | First CLASS (Citizenship, Learning, Aspirations, Standards, School of Choice) |
| Website | http://www.putteridgehigh.org/ |
Putteridge High School is a co-educational secondary school located in the Putteridge area of Luton, in the English county of Bedfordshire.[1]
History
[edit]It was previously a community school administered by Luton Borough Council.[2] The school was also awarded specialist status as a Mathematics and Computing College. In February 2013, Ofsted rated this as a 'Good School'.[3]
In March 2017 Putteridge High School converted to academy status and is now sponsored by the Chiltern Learning Trust.[4] In 2019 the first Ofsted inspection of the school after academy conversion was rated as 'Good', with the school said to be showing rapid improvement.[5][6] The school was also awarded the International School Award for 2018 to 2021.[7]
Buildings
[edit]In 2019 it was announced that funding and permission had been obtained to demolish and completely rebuild the school site.[8] The new school build has been completed. The sports hall was completed in 2020.
Academics
[edit]Virtually all maintained schools and academies follow the National Curriculum, and are inspected by Ofsted on how well they succeed in delivering a 'broad and balanced curriculum'.[9] The school has to decide whether Key Stage 3 contains years 7, 8 and 9- or whether year 9 should be in Key Stage 4 and the students just study subjects that will be examined by the GCSEs exams at 16. Putteridge had decided to take the latter approach. Putteridge High School offers Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 only. There is no sixth form or Key Stage 5.[10] The school also offers The Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme.[11] All students continued in education after leaving the school.[6] The school maintains German as a Key Stage 4 option, and has a German partner school, the Theisstalschule, Niedernhausen with whom they do regular visits and joint music and outdoor pursuits activities.[6] The link was established through the Comenius programme. The visit in December 2019 was funded by the British Council, and included visits to Frankfurt, Mainz and Wiesbaden.[12]
Key Stage 3
[edit]In year 7 and year 8, the pupils follow the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum. They are set in Maths and English. They have lessons in:
| Art | Computing | Design and Technology | Drama |
| English Language | English Literature | French | Geography |
| History | Mathematics | Music | Philosophy and Ethics |
| Physical Education | Science |
Key Stage 4
[edit]The core subjects studies are:
| GCSE Maths, English and Combined Science |
| Philosophy and Ethics (Non Exam Course) |
| Physical Education (Non Exam Course) |
In addition they choose 4 extra subjects, called options, One must be History of Geoography, in order to fulfill the EBACC requirements.[10] The other subjects can varied each year but come from this list. Some students will also be able to take triple science.
| Art and Design | Food and Technology | ICT | Business Studies |
| French | Media Studies | Computer Science | Geography |
| Music | Spanish | Religious Studies | Drama |
| Health and Social Care | Sport and Physical Education | Fashion and Textiles | History |
| Music Technology | Three Dimensional Design | Photography |
Values and ethos
[edit]Under the leadership of Headteacher David Graham,[13] Putteridge High School operates under the motto and values framework "First CLASS", an acronym standing for Citizenship, Learning, Aspirations, Standards, and School of Choice.[14] This framework focuses on developing students into respectful citizens and breaking down social or personal learning barriers.[13] In evaluation records, inspectors noted that pupils actively work to model themselves as "first class learners" and community members.[15]
The values system directly anchors the Putteridge High First Class Reward Scheme (PHFC), evaluating holistic student development.[16] To earn milestones, students must hit strict termly benchmarks:
- Maintaining a minimum of 98% attendance
- Incurring no more than three late arrivals per period
- Accumulating fewer than five behavior points
- Achieving a "First Class" or "Good" Attitude to Learning (ATL) grade
- Submitting all classroom homework punctually
Meeting these metrics qualifies students for Bronze, Silver, or Gold excellence statuses, recognized in termly assemblies and reward trips.[17] Accomplishments also award house points toward the competitive House System (Green, Blue, Red, Yellow).[16]
Impact on attendance
[edit]The rewards scheme has successfully maintained school-wide attendance rates significantly above national baselines. According to Laura Bartoletti, Deputy Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) with strategic oversight for behaviour and attendance,[18] the 98% milestone threshold is tied to high-engagement incentives such as cinema excursions and garden parties, alongside attendance pin badges that students wear on their blazers with pride.[19]
Bartoletti's framework has driven school-wide attendance rates to an average of approximately 96%, compared to a secondary school national baseline of 91.7%.[19][20] This structure led to the school being recognized by the Department for Education (DfE) as a Centre of Excellence for attendance, with its pastoral case studies subsequently published within the DfE Attendance Toolkit and utilized in national policy resources.[18]
Former students
[edit]- Danny Cannon – Film and television director, screenwriter, and producer.[21]
- David Galbraith – is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder.
- James Justin – Professional footballer for Leeds United and the England national team.[22]
- Elizabeth Price – Visual artist, academic at Kingston University, and winner of the 2012 Turner Prize.[23]
- Tommy Robinson – Political activist and co-founder of the English Defence League.[24]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Putteridge High School". www.putteridgehigh.org.
- ↑ "Putteridge High School - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk.
- ↑ "Ofsted Report 2013". ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright - ↑ "Putteridge High School - Chiltern Learning Trust". www.chilternlearningtrust.org.
- ↑ "Putteridge High School shows rapid improvement with 'Good' rating by Ofsted". www.lutontoday.co.uk.
- 1 2 3 "Ofsted Report 2019". ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2021. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright
- ↑ "International School Award | Putteridge High School". www.putteridgehigh.org.
- ↑ "Plans to demolish and rebuild Putteridge High School approved by Luton Borough Council". www.lutontoday.co.uk.
- ↑ Roberts, Nerys. "The school curriculum in England Parliamentary Briefing Paper" (PDF). parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 "Curriculum | Putteridge High School". www.putteridgehigh.org.
- ↑ "Duke of Edinburgh Award | Putteridge High School". www.putteridgehigh.org.
- ↑ Emmeline (January 2020). "German exchange 2019- Putteridge Newsletter" (PDF). /www.putteridgehigh.org/. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- 1 2 "Chiltern Learning Trust - Putteridge High School". Chiltern Learning Trust. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- ↑ "Putteridge High School School Profile". MyNewTerm. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- ↑ "Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Putteridge High School". Education. Ofsted. 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- 1 2 "House & Year System". Putteridge High School. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- ↑ "Ofsted states that pupils "experience high quality education"". Luton Today. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- 1 2 "Senior Leadership Team". Putteridge High School. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- 1 2 Whittaker, Freddie (20 May 2024). "Cinema trips and summer schools boost attendance". Schools Week. Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- ↑ "UK Government Attendance Statistics". Retrieved 1 November 2026.
- ↑ "Danny Cannon Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- ↑ Walsh, Luke (7 June 2022). "The Luton school once home to new England footballer James Justin". Bedfordshire Live. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- ↑ "Turner Prize 2012: Elizabeth Price wins". The Guardian. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
- ↑ Triggernometry (10 August 2025). An Honest Conversation With Tommy Robinson. Retrieved 11 August 2025 – via YouTube.
