Beecroft Academy

Beecroft Academy is performing well overall, receiving a 'Good' rating across all domains including the quality of education and leadership. The school has successfully implemented a consistent curriculum approach, termed 'The Beecroft Way', which helps pupils build connections across subjects and deepen their knowledge. Notable strengths include a strong emphasis on personal development, with interactive programs, clubs, and leadership opportunities that foster respect and appreciation among diverse pupils. The effective support systems in place for pupils, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), contribute to their steady progress despite some challenges related to historic curriculum weaknesses.

Strengths

• High expectations from adults lead to motivated pupils.
• Warm and respectful relationships foster a friendly school environment.
• Effective curriculum planning and teaching methods through 'The Beecroft Way'.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND, ensuring independent learning.
• A well-planned personal development program that includes a variety of clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• Historic curriculum weaknesses result in gaps in pupil learning.
• Pupils struggle to apply writing techniques across subjects.

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 Beecroft Academy attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.1% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Beecroft Academy 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 Beecroft Academy had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.3% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Beecroft Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% 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 2023–24 Beecroft Academy received £6,282 and spent £816 for each of its 418 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £307,000 (£734 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of The Pyramid Schools Trust, income was £6,763 and spending £6,518 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 Dunstable · Central Bedfordshire local authority: places and applications

Beecroft Academy is part of The Pyramid Schools Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Parkfields Middle School Dunstable
• Sundon Lower School Luton
• Brooklands Middle School Leighton Buzzard
• Harlington Lower School Dunstable
• Harlington Upper School Dunstable
• Westoning Lower School Bedford
• Arnold Academy Bedford
• Ramsey Manor Lower School Bedford
• Redborne Upper School and Community College Bedford

What is Beecroft Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beecroft Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Beecroft Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Beecroft Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Beecroft Academy have?

Beecroft Academy has 413 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beecroft Academy cover?

Beecroft Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Beecroft Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 39% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Beecroft Academy?

Beecroft Academy is at Westfield Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1DW.