Beaminster School

Type Secondary / Voluntary controlled school
Age Range 11-18
Religion Christian
Address Newtown
Beaminster
Dorset
DT8 3EP
Phone 01308862633
Reference Number 113884

Beaminster School is performing well overall, receiving a 'Good' assessment in all key areas of education, including the quality of education, behavior, personal development, and leadership. The school prides itself on fostering a community environment, where the ethos of ambition, service, and kindness is emphasized. Positive relationships between pupils and staff contribute to an atmosphere where students feel safe and respected. The school encourages a strong commitment to attendance and provides numerous extracurricular activities, enriching the educational experience for students. However, there are areas needing improvement, particularly regarding assessment practices and the reading curriculum. While the school has ambitious plans for its curriculum and excels in supporting students with special educational needs, some assessment strategies have not effectively challenged misconceptions or deepened knowledge for all pupils. Additionally, the reading curriculum does not cater sufficiently to older students, limiting their exposure to a wider range of texts. As this was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, these findings will inform future developments as the school seeks to enhance its educational offerings.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 679
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 49.78%
Girls: 50.22%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 22.1%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 3.1%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 21.6

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 65 61 126
8 58 50 108
9 54 73 127
10 59 65 124
11 67 51 118
12 14 21 35
13 21 20 41

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 89.8%
Unclassified 2.4%
White, Other 2.2%
Mixed, Other 1.9%
White & Asian 1.2%
Asian, Other 1.2%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.4%
Irish 0.4%
Indian 0.3%
White & Black (African) 0.1%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Sixth Form Provision Good
Last Report Date 26 Sep 2023
Date Report
26 Sep 2023 School inspection:
21 Sep 2017 Short inspection
05 Nov 2013 Full inspection:
09 Jan 2012 Interim assessment
13 Sep 2010 Curriculum and development visit
08 Oct 2008 Full inspection:
04 Mar 2008 Curriculum and development visit
28 Sep 2005 Full inspection:
06 Dec 1999 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Positive school ethos promoting ambition, service, and kindness.
  • Strong relationships between pupils and staff based on mutual respect.
  • Good behavior in lessons and around the school.
  • Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
  • Engagement in a wide range of extracurricular activities.
  • Comprehensive careers education and guidance for students.

Areas for Improvement

  • Assessment strategies sometimes fail to effectively check pupils' knowledge.
  • Reading curriculum does not support older pupils in reading widely and frequently.

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
47

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 43.6%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 64.1%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

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GCSE Results

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Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 25.55
Average Points (best 3) 24.74

Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade C- C+ C+
Average Grade (best 3) D+ C+ C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 5.3%
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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 62 2
Third Preference 18 0
From another Local Authority 63 30

Previous Years

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Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

Name Distance
Beaminster St Mary's Academy
Clay Lane, Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3BY
0.37 miles
Parrett and Axe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Fairoak Way, Mosterton, Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3JQ
2.36 miles
Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Drimpton Road, Broadwindsor, Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3QL
2.68 miles
Salway Ash Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Salwayash, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 5JE
2.95 miles
Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
School Hill, Powerstock, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3TB
4.27 miles
Perrott Hill School Limited
North Perrott, Crewkerne, TA18 7SL
4.84 miles
Loders CofE Primary Academy
Loders, Loders, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3SA
4.89 miles
St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School
Kithill, Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8AS
4.9 miles
Maiden Beech Academy
Lyme Road, Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8HG
4.91 miles
Name Distance
Mountjoy School
Tunnel Road, Beaminster, Dorset, DT8 3HB
0.47 miles
The Sir John Colfox Academy
Ridgeway, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 3DT
4.68 miles
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