Dunstable and Houghton Regis
Houstone School - A new secondary school on Kingsland Campus in Houghton Regis
Artist’s impression of Houstone School
Where we are now
Due to a delay in obtaining power to the site, the new Houstone School building is now expected to hold its first classes when pupils return from the summer holidays in September 2023.
Our priority has always been to ensure that the new building does not disrupt learning and has no adverse impact on any child’s progress and enjoyment of school. And, as staff and students have been settled at the refurbished temporary University Technical College since September 2022, the building will remain available to Houstone School for as long as required.
Thank you for your continued patience and support during the building process
The University Technical College building
In 2022, archaeological investigations on the site, which are a requirement of the planning consent, has uncovered ancient Roman, Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement activity and human remains dating back 4,500-years.
What has been found?
A 'ring-ditch' which is part of a late Neolithic/early Bronze Age barrow or funerary monument, around 4,500 years old.
A human burial. The skeleton was placed in a crouched position within a pit near the barrow, suggesting it is likely to be of a similar date. This will be confirmed by radiocarbon dating. Specialist analysis will determine the individual’s sex, age at death, and whether they were suffering from any diseases.
A line of 11 Bronze Age pits, around 4,000 years old, which represent an ancient boundary stretching for at least 30 metres. They contained fragments of Bronze Age pottery and animal bone.
Various other late Iron Age/Roman (200 BC–AD 400) ditches and pits are associated with a large settlement previously investigated within the Linmere development to the east of the Houstone site. Pottery, animal bone, and other domestic artefacts were found.
The archaeological discoveries add to historic artefacts previously at the nearby Linmere housing development, also known as HRN1, which together give an insight in to 8,000 years of human life in Houghton Regis.
What happens next?
Everything possible is being done to ensure we provide an outstanding learning environment for children, young people and staff. Once moved into the new state-of-the-art building, from September 2023, we will ensure that Houstone School continues to have access to the playing fields of the adjacent former Houghton Regis Academy for a further year, as well as access to Houghton Regis Leisure Centre. This is to ensure the grass on the new Houstone School playing fields can properly develop before regular use.
All the archaeological finds listed above (and records of what is found) will eventually go to a local museum.
If you have any questions, please contact the School Organisation team at school.organisation@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
You can find the most up-to-date information on this webpage. Find out other ways you can learn about updates.
About Houstone School
How the Houstone School building looked in May 2022
A brand-new secondary school called Houstone School (pronounced “How-stone”) is being built in Houghton Regis on the Kingsland Campus. Houstone is an historic name for the town which dates back to the Doomsday Book.
The school will be managed by Advantage Schools Trust and a new website for Houstone School is available here.
As part of the New School Places programme, the school will be the first new secondary Central Bedfordshire Council has ever built in Houghton Regis.
The three-storey school will be opened in 2023 and will include:
a main teaching block
separate sports block
an all-weather pitch
standard pitches for outdoor sport and a new car park
vehicle access from Parkside Drive
additional pedestrian access from the west, through the Kingsland Campus and from the north, connecting to the new houses which are planned as part of the Linmere housing development site (visit the Linmere website to find out more about the development)
Once complete, the school will meet the need for secondary school places for the local community, expanding in line with housing growth in the area.
The Kingsland Campus is a mixed-use site, and its primary purpose remains education and leisure. There are also proposals are being put forward for investment into a new, high-quality community and leisure facility on the Kingsland Campus at Houghton Regis following a successful bid for nearly £20million of government Levelling Up funding announced at the end of October 2021.
Who will run the school?
Houstone School will be independently run by Advantage Schools. Advantage Schools, who currently operate three schools in Bedfordshire – Bedford Free School, an ‘Outstanding’-rated secondary school which opened in Bedford in September 2012, and Elstow School and Queen’s Park Academy, which are both rated ‘Good’ primary schools in Bedford. Read more about Advantage Schools.
What children will attend the school?
Children and young people due to be in Years 7 to 10 for the 2022/23 academic year. The application deadline has now passed a families have now been notified, via the school admissions process, if their child has a place at Houstone School. In-year applications can still be made via the school admissions process.
How can I keep up-to-date with the latest news?
All the latest news and information about the new school will always be published on this webpage as it becomes available. It will be publicised via Central Bedfordshire Council’s Facebook and Twitter pages and via the Schools for the Future email bulletins; sign up for email bulletins.
In addition, we will also work with Advantage Schools in order to provide official written communications through their existing channels, such as their website, newsletters and social media channels (find them on Twitter here.)
You can follow Houstone School on the following social media accounts:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoustoneSchool
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoustoneSchool/
A brand-new website for the schools is under construction and, when this is ready, will be publicised on the school’s social media platforms.
Why has the school been called Houstone School?
Houstone School (pronounced “How-stone”) has been chosen by Advantage Schools as the name for the new secondary school.
This comes following a community engagement event where 356 responses were given on three potential names. A wide variety of opinions offered, but Houstone School was the most popular name.
Several residents commented that they liked that this name was selected because of the mention in the 935-year-old Domesday Book, so it has historic and local connections.
Contributions from local residents included:
Houstone seems appropriate and distinctive as it is the historic name for Houghton Regis.
I think this one is so much better than the other two. Unusual, classy and original with a bit of history to it. Great choice.
I very much like this name. It has some history behind it which will give the school some unique character. Not to mention the name of the school can help students take pride in their local community.
What is happening with pupils at the existing Houghton Regis Academy?
Houghton Regis Academy is due to close after the completion of the 2021/22 academic year. For the 2021/22 academic year, the school will only accommodate years 7 to 9. Pupils due to be in years 10 to 11 from September 2021 have already been given the choice of attending nearby schools.