Bethany Church of England Junior School

Bethany Church of England Junior School is a larger-than-average junior school in Boscombe, Bournemouth, serving a disadvantaged community: nearly half of pupils are eligible for free school meals and the proportion with SEN support is above average. It is part of Coastal Learning Partnership. Safeguarding standards are met, but inspectors judged every evaluated area to need attention. Over time, pupils have not been well prepared for secondary school, and published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are below national averages, with disadvantaged pupils' attainment and gaps a particular concern. The main weaknesses are in curriculum implementation and assessment: some pupils do not learn the intended curriculum in enough depth, spelling remains weak, and mathematics gaps affect problem-solving. Behaviour expectations are not applied consistently around school and at social times, and a minority of pupils show disrespect or make racist comments; some incidents go unreported. The PSHE/personal development programme is well sequenced but does not yet have its full intended impact, and oversight of disadvantaged pupils' English and mathematics gaps is not stringent enough. There are clear signs of improvement. Attendance has improved quickly and is now in line with national averages, persistent absence is falling, and suspensions have reduced markedly. Reading teaching is more effective, maths basics are being secured, SEND needs are now identified accurately, and pastoral support is a strength, including for young carers and pupils with low self-esteem. Leaders and the trust are working with integrity and know it is too soon to see impact everywhere; next steps focus on sharper oversight, rising attainment, better use of assessment, consistent behaviour, and stronger mutual respect.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and detailed oversight.
• Attendance is improving quickly and is now in line with national averages.
• Persistent absence is decreasing, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Suspensions have reduced markedly, and daily routines create a calm start.
• Pupils typically behave well in lessons and work hard.
• Reading teaching is now more effective, helping pupils catch up.
• Pupils' handwriting and writing composition are improving.
• Recent mathematics changes are helping pupils secure basic number skills and multiplication tables fluency.
• Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and receive precise pastoral support.
• Specific scaffolds and resources help pupils with SEND gain independence.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language are assessed early and generally receive the right support.
• Young carers benefit from bespoke pastoral and curriculum support.
• Disadvantaged pupils are attending more regularly, and additional funding is used increasingly effectively.
• Leaders and the trust work with integrity, fulfil statutory duties and commission external evaluation.
• Staff value professional learning and support for workload and wellbeing.
• Pastoral support is usually well matched, and pupils with low self-esteem benefit greatly.
• A range of activities broadens pupils' horizons, with equal access to extra-curricular opportunities.
• Pupils take pride in leadership roles, and bullying reports are addressed promptly.

Areas for Improvement

• Over time, pupils have not been well prepared for secondary school.
• Published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment and performance gaps remain a significant concern.
• Curriculum implementation has weaknesses, so some pupils do not learn the curriculum as intended.
• Teaching does not consistently deepen pupils' knowledge or build on what they already know.
• Some pupils struggle with complex number problems because essential mathematics is not secure.
• Spelling weaknesses remain, and phonics is not routinely applied to spelling accurately.
• Staff do not consistently implement the behaviour policy around school and at social times.
• Some pupils take too long to follow instructions at social times.
• A minority of pupils are disrespectful, use derogatory language or make racist comments.
• Some incidents of poor behaviour or disrespect go unreported and reoccur.
• The PSHE/personal development programme does not yet have its full intended impact.
• Some pupils lack secure understanding of tolerance, protected characteristics or cultural diversity.
• Academic targets for some pupils with SEND are not precise enough, including for bespoke curriculums.
• Oversight of work to address disadvantaged pupils' English and mathematics gaps is not stringent enough.
• The programme to develop pupils' character has weaknesses.
• Some pupils lose concentration or wait for adult help when teaching does not build on prior knowledge.

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 Bethany Church of England Junior School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Bethany Church of England Junior 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 Bethany Church of England Junior School had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.9% 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, 23.4% of pupils at Bethany Church of England Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Bethany Church of England Junior School received £8,245 and spent £7,670 for each of its 372 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £46,000 (£123 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of Coastal Learning Partnership, income was £6,936 and spending £6,570 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.

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All schools in Bournemouth · Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority: places and applications

Bethany Church of England Junior School is part of Coastal Learning Partnership, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• St Clement's and St John's Church of England Infant School Bournemouth
• Queen's Park Infant Academy Bournemouth
• St Luke's Church of England Primary School Bournemouth
• Heatherlands Primary School Poole
• Heathlands Primary Academy Bournemouth
• Courthill Infant School Poole
• Lilliput Church of England Infant School Poole
• Baden-Powell and St Peter's Church of England Junior School Poole
• Longfleet Church of England Primary School Poole
• Oakdale Junior School Poole

What is Bethany Church of England Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bethany Church of England Junior School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Bethany Church of England Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bethany Church of England Junior School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Bethany Church of England Junior School have?

Bethany Church of England Junior School has 308 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bethany Church of England Junior School cover?

Bethany Church of England Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Bethany Church of England Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 35% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bethany Church of England Junior School?

Bethany Church of England Junior School is at Knole Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 4DJ.