George Fentham Endowed School

George Fentham Endowed School is a voluntary aided primary school with a Christian ethos, serving pupils aged 3 to 11 in Hampton-in-Arden. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014, when it was previously judged outstanding and exempt from routine inspection. Pupils are happy, proud of their school and feel safe, and their behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate the school’s core values of being ready, respectful and safe, and they benefit from a strong personal development offer that includes character education, responsibility roles, trips and a wide range of clubs. The school is highly ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND, and reading is prioritised from Nursery. Phonics teaching is consistent and effective, pupils are well prepared for Reception, and support for pupils who need help with reading is strong. SEND identification and support are effective, attendance is high and improving, and staff feel well supported by leaders and governors. Early years provision, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management are particular strengths. The main area for improvement is the quality of education. While the curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, and standards in reading, writing and mathematics are rising, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is not yet as strong as in reading and writing. In some subjects, teachers do not check well enough what pupils remember, and they do not always address misconceptions quickly enough before moving on, which means some pupils do not build their knowledge as securely over time. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, proud of their school and feel safe.
• Behaviour is exemplary and pupils consistently demonstrate the school’s core values.
• Personal development is exceptionally well promoted, including character education from Nursery.
• Pupils have a strong appreciation of fundamental British values and respect differences.
• The curriculum is tailored well to pupils’ needs and sequenced to build on prior learning.
• Reading is prioritised from Nursery and phonics teaching is consistently effective.
• Pupils who need extra help with phonics receive effective support to become fluent readers.
• SEND identification starts early and pupils are well integrated with effective additional support.
• Attendance is high and improving, with relentless follow-up on absence.
• Staff feel exceptionally well supported in their welfare and workload.
• Governors use their wide range of expertise effectively to challenge and support leaders.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and responsibilities, with high take-up among disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils’ attainment in mathematics is not yet as strong as in reading and writing.
• Teachers do not check well enough what pupils remember in some subjects.
• Teachers do not always pick up on pupils’ misconceptions and mistakes quickly enough before moving on.
• Some pupils do not build their knowledge well over time because subsequent learning does not take enough account of prior knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at George Fentham Endowed School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at George Fentham Endowed School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 George Fentham Endowed School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 12.3% of pupils at George Fentham Endowed School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 George Fentham Endowed School received £6,475 and spent £6,568 for each of its 209 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £29,000 (£137 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Solihull · Solihull local authority: places and applications

What is George Fentham Endowed School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for George Fentham Endowed School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was George Fentham Endowed School last inspected by Ofsted?

George Fentham Endowed School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does George Fentham Endowed School have?

George Fentham Endowed School has 220 pupils on roll.

What age range does George Fentham Endowed School cover?

George Fentham Endowed School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are George Fentham Endowed School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is George Fentham Endowed School?

George Fentham Endowed School is at Fentham Road, Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 0AY.