The Bewbush Academy

The Bewbush Academy has improved significantly since its previous inspection and now provides a good quality of education, with outstanding personal development and early years provision. Pupils benefit from exceptionally strong pastoral care, a calm and respectful culture, and a wide range of opportunities to take responsibility and contribute to the community. Reading and phonics are prioritised, support for pupils with SEND has improved, and attendance is rising, particularly for pupils who have missed school frequently. Safeguarding is effective, and the trust provides strong support and challenge. The main area for improvement is the curriculum in a small number of foundation subjects. In these subjects, curriculum intent is less well developed, implementation varies, and tasks are not always sharply focused on the most important content, which can leave gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Mathematics results at the end of key stage 2 in 2024 were below the national average, but the school has taken effective steps to strengthen the curriculum, and current pupils are achieving well. Overall, leaders have addressed the concerns from the previous inspection effectively. Staff share high ambitions, parents speak warmly about the school’s caring and inclusive approach, and pupils feel safe and well supported. The school’s values are embedded in daily life, and pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Strengths

• Exceptionally strong pastoral care, especially for disadvantaged pupils.
• Outstanding personal development, including safety, health, mental health and first aid.
• Outstanding early years provision with a language-rich environment and strong progress.
• Effective phonics and reading teaching, with swift catch-up for pupils who fall behind.
• Improved SEND identification and support through significant staff training and careful adaptations.
• Calm, respectful behaviour and focused, attentive pupils.
• Robust attendance tracking and improving attendance, especially for persistently absent pupils.
• Clear, well-sequenced curriculum in most subjects, including mathematics and reading.
• Strong trust support and challenge that has helped drive recent improvements.
• A wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop talents, take on responsibilities and contribute to the community.
• Pupils feel safe and cared for, and they understand diversity, equity and fundamental British values.

Areas for Improvement

• A small number of foundation subjects have less well-developed curriculum intent.
• In these subjects, tasks are not sharply focused on the most important content, leading to gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding.
• The quality of curriculum implementation varies between subjects.
• In 2024, fewer pupils achieved the expected standard in key stage 2 mathematics than the national average, although current pupils are achieving well.

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 The Bewbush Academy attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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 The Bewbush Academy 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 The Bewbush Academy had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.3% 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, 8.1% of pupils at The Bewbush Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 2024–25 The Bewbush Academy received £6,794 and spent £7,259 for each of its 482 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £216,000 (£449 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Kemnal Academies Trust, income was £8,501 and spending £8,452 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Crawley · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

The Bewbush Academy is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs 45 schools. The nearest others:

• Seymour Primary School Crawley
• The Mill Primary Academy Crawley
• Broadfield Primary Academy Crawley
• Hilltop Primary School Crawley
• Thomas Bennett Community College Crawley
• The Oaks Primary School & Nursery Crawley
• Weyfield Primary Academy Guildford
• Gray's Farm Primary Academy Orpington
• Kemnal Technology College Sidcup
• Orchards Academy Swanley

What is The Bewbush Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Bewbush Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was The Bewbush Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Bewbush Academy was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does The Bewbush Academy have?

The Bewbush Academy has 459 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Bewbush Academy cover?

The Bewbush Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Bewbush Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Bewbush Academy?

The Bewbush Academy is at Dorsten Place, Bewbush, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 8XW.