Renhold VC Primary School

Renhold VC Primary School is a happy and inclusive primary where pupils feel safe, build kind relationships and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Inspectors found the school performing well across all inspected areas. The curriculum has been improved since the previous inspection and is now ambitious and well organised, and pupils learn well in reading, writing and mathematics. Reading is a particular strength, with systematic phonics and effective support for pupils who struggle, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly and generally learn well. Behaviour is positive, personal development is strong and safeguarding is effective. Leadership is effective: governors understand the school’s strengths and priorities, staff feel supported and parents are positive. Most pupils attend regularly. However, the report identifies two main areas for improvement. Staff do not consistently check whether pupils have retained knowledge over the longer term, so some gaps in knowledge remain. In addition, support for disadvantaged pupils who find it hard to attend regularly has not yet secured regular attendance for all of them. The inspection was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and followed the appointment of the headteacher and some senior leaders in September 2024. The school has a Christian ethos and is supported by the local authority.

Strengths

• Warm, kind relationships underpin a happy and supportive school culture.
• Pupils are sensitive to others and resolve friendship difficulties positively.
• An ambitious, well-organised curriculum has been developed since the previous inspection.
• Pupils learn well in reading, writing and mathematics and meet the school’s high expectations.
• Early reading is a high priority, with systematic phonics and effective support for struggling readers.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and typically learn the curriculum well.
• Behaviour is positive; pupils understand the new policy and early years children share and take turns.
• Personal development prepares pupils to respect diversity and keep themselves safe.
• Leadership is effective, with governors who understand strengths and priorities and hold leaders to account.
• Staff workload is considered and professional development is well managed.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Most pupils attend regularly and parents are very positive about the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Staff do not routinely check whether pupils have retained prior knowledge over time, leaving gaps in long-term recall.
• Support for disadvantaged pupils with irregular attendance has not yet secured regular attendance for all.

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 Renhold VC Primary School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.8% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Renhold VC Primary 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 Renhold VC Primary School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.4% 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, 15.7% of pupils at Renhold VC Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 Renhold VC Primary School received £7,126 and spent £7,675 for each of its 186 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £54,000 (£291 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).

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What is Renhold VC Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Renhold VC Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Renhold VC Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Renhold VC Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Renhold VC Primary School have?

Renhold VC Primary School has 191 pupils on roll.

What age range does Renhold VC Primary School cover?

Renhold VC Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Renhold VC Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Renhold VC Primary School?

Renhold VC Primary School is at Church End, Renhold Vc Primary School, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 0LU.