Bedwell Primary School

Bedwell Primary School has demonstrated a significant improvement since its previous inspection and is now rated as good overall. The school provides a supportive and friendly atmosphere that contributes to pupil safety and confidence in their learning. With a well-structured and ambitious curriculum in place, pupils are meeting high expectations and showing progress across subjects. However, there are a few areas where teachers' questioning techniques could be refined to better address misunderstandings among pupils, indicating some room for enhancement in specific subject areas. The school also places a strong emphasis on the well-being of its pupils, offering a variety of extracurricular activities that broaden their experiences and aspirations. Although support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is generally effective, there is a noted need for improved communication with parents to help them better support their children. Overall, Bedwell Primary's staff are committed, and the governors demonstrate a strong awareness of the school's context and improvement needs.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, secure, and proud to attend Bedwell Primary School.
• The school has a strong and supportive pastoral care system for pupils and families.
• Teachers effectively deliver a structured phonics program that promotes reading confidence.
• Pupils with SEND receive well-adapted support and achieve well over time.
• There is a committed and enthusiastic staff team that feels well-supported by leadership.
• The school maintains high standards for behaviour and attendance.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers' questioning does not always address pupils' misconceptions rigorously.
• Some parents of pupils with SEND feel that communication about support could be improved.

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 Bedwell Primary School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.6% 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 Bedwell 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 Bedwell Primary School had 16.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 29.5% of pupils at Bedwell Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.7% 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 Bedwell Primary School received £8,008 and spent £8,048 for each of its 288 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £253,000 (£878 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 Stevenage · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Bedwell Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bedwell Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2022.

When was Bedwell Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bedwell Primary School was last inspected in May 2022.

How many pupils does Bedwell Primary School have?

Bedwell Primary School has 295 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bedwell Primary School cover?

Bedwell Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bedwell Primary School?

Bedwell Primary School is at Bedwell Crescent, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 1NJ.