Benson Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 July 2025

Pupils are happy coming to this safe and nurturing school. They interact positively with staff, who know them well and care deeply about their well-being. Teachers listen attentively to pupils when they share their concerns or opinions. Pupils value the support that they receive and speak with enthusiasm about their learning and wider experiences, such as rock music lessons, residential trips and 'ambassador' roles. The school sets high expectations for all pupils. From the early years onwards, pupils learn to read well and develop a secure understanding of mathematics. They make meaningful links between their learning and real-life experiences, such as connecting a visit to a local castle with their history work on the Tudors. Pupils talk with increasing confidence about their work in school. Pupils behave well and understand what is expected of them. Pupils know that staff follow the behaviour policy routinely and rigorously when concerns are raised. Pupils know and live out the school's values of love, forgiveness, peace and understanding. These values shape how they treat one another and contribute to a calm and respectful environment, where pupils thrive. Pupils are proud of their school. They are confident and feel well prepared for the next stage of their education.

What the school should improve

• Expectations of pupils' engagement are not consistently high. A minority of pupils are not actively engaged during lessons and this means that they are not capitalising on every learning opportunity. The school should ensure all staff follow the agreed approaches to identify when pupils become distracted and help them to refocus. This will help pupils to make the most of their time in lessons and support them achieving the highest possible outcomes.
• In some foundation subjects, the checks that the school makes on what pupils know and can do are not used effectively. As a result, staff do not have the information they need to identify pupils' next steps in learning. The school should ensure that assessment processes in all curriculum areas are effective and that teachers use them to identify pupils' next steps in learning, so that they achieve as well as possible across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)