Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 5 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Church Road, Bentley, Ipswich, IP9 2BTOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school in Ipswich for ages 5 to 11. It is one of the 357 schools in Suffolk. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2015.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 5 March 2015, report published 27 March 2015

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 May 2024

Pupils enjoy school. The warm nurturing environment means they are safe and ready to learn. Pupils know staff are always available to help them. The nurture club offers a safe haven if pupils have a worry. They learn strategies to cope with life's challenges, make friends and develop confidence. Older pupils are proud to become trained 'mentors' who help their peers in times of need. Pupils understand what bullying is and know if this happens, it is dealt with quickly. Pupils respond well to the high expectations the school has of them and most achieve well in mathematics and reading. Learning is not disrupted because pupils are calm and settled in lessons. Pupils build resilience to setbacks and understand they can learn from their mistakes. Pupils are highly motivated learners. Pupils love to receive 'brain stickers' for their achievements. They relish the challenge to read five times a week. This helps pupils become self-disciplined in their work. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. They participate fully in the life of the school. Pupils enjoy well-planned educational visits and trips such as meeting a local engineer and going sailing. These enrich pupils' learning and broaden their horizons.

What the school should improve

  • The teaching approaches the school has introduced to support curriculum improvements are not consistently executed as leaders intend. This means that there are instances when pupils' knowledge is not as secure as it could be, and this impacts the quality of their work. The school should ensure that teachers are supported to implement the agreed teaching approaches consistently across the school so that all pupils learn as well as they can.

Pupil numbers and mix

40 pupils on roll, with places for 56

Eligible for free school meals15%

15%, 11.5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language0%

0%, 21.6 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support12.5%

12.5%, 2.3 percentage points below the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan5%

5%, 1 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Tattingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School1 mileOfsted: Good43% met the expected standard
Capel St Mary Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good63% met the expected standard
Brooklands Primary School2 milesOfsted: Good71% met the expected standard
Stutton Church of England Primary School3 milesOfsted judgements: Good50% met the expected standard
Copdock Primary School3 milesOfsted: Outstanding50% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary controlled school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
5 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mrs Joanne Austin
Address
Church Road, Bentley, Ipswich, IP9 2BT
Local authority
Suffolk
URN
124754

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.