St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 February 2026

'We are family' is more than a motto at St Andrew's Benn; it is the heart of the school. Staff know pupils and their families very well. They have established the school as an important part of the community. Events in the family room, such as coffee mornings and learning workshops, enhance a sense of belonging. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and others with barriers to their learning, are included in school life. Although pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND do not join mainstream lessons, they are equally valued and very much part of the school family. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Positive attitudes to learning start in the early years, where children respond well to the daily routines and expectations. Increasing numbers of pupils attend school regularly. Pupils work cooperatively with each other. A recent focus on developing pupils' spoken and language skills helps to reduce some of the barriers pupils face in their learning. They benefit from the time provided for discussing their learning. Pupils talk with enthusiasm and increasing knowledge about their learning. Adventures to the 'Antarctic' as well as trips, such as to the beach, help to bring the curriculum alive. However, further improvements to the curriculum and teaching are needed to ensure that pupils are as well prepared as they need to be for their next steps and achieve well across the curriculum. Pupils know that staff care deeply about them. The 'taking care' project ensures pupils can identify someone to go to if they need support. This helps them to feel safe in school. Pupils have positive relationships with staff and each other. Pupils are confident there are no issues with bullying; staff deal quickly with anything that does happen. The school values, including tolerance and respect, are lived out by both staff and pupils. This supports pupils to be well prepared for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that pupils are supported to develop the knowledge and skills that they need, particularly in relation to their handwriting and composition, so that they develop their writing fluency across the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that checks on pupils' learning enable staff to understand where pupils' knowledge is secure or requires further support so that this is used to inform the design of learning opportunities that more effectively build on pupils' prior learning.
• Leaders should maintain their focus on attendance and continue to work with families to further reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent.
• Leaders, including governors, should ensure they have robust oversight of the actions they take to ensure there is a consistency of quality across the school.

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