Bentham Community Primary School

Bentham Community Primary School is performing well with an overall effectiveness rating of 'Good' across all domains evaluated in the inspection. Pupils are engaged, polite, and embody the school values, showing respect toward each other and eagerness to learn. The curriculum is well-planned, particularly in the early years, allowing children to thrive. However, there are some areas of concern pertaining to the breadth of extra-curricular activities available to pupils and the consistency of assessment practices in the wider curriculum, particularly in subjects such as history and science.

Strengths

• Pupils are inspired by the school values and demonstrate respectful behavior.
• Leaders promote reading with a strong phonics scheme and high-quality texts.
• Staff receive necessary training and support to effectively teach the curriculum.
• Pupils receive adequate pastoral support and feel safe in the school environment.
• A well-sequenced curriculum planning allows for good pupil achievement, especially in early years.

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum is not fully embedded in all subject areas.
• There are gaps in pupils' knowledge in the wider curriculum.
• Limited opportunities for extra-curricular activities restrict pupils' personal development.

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 Bentham Community Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.6% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Bentham Community Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Bentham Community Primary School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.4% 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, 15.6% of pupils at Bentham Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 Bentham Community Primary School received £7,708 and spent £8,052 for each of its 140 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £97,000 (-£695 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 North Yorkshire · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

What is Bentham Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bentham Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Bentham Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bentham Community Primary School was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Bentham Community Primary School have?

Bentham Community Primary School has 147 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bentham Community Primary School cover?

Bentham Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 48% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bentham Community Primary School?

Bentham Community Primary School is at Low Bentham Road, Bentham, Bentham Community Primary School, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 7BP.