St Benet's RC Primary School and Nursery
| Type | Primary / Academy sponsor led |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Ringsfield Road Beccles Suffolk NR34 9PQ |
| Phone | 01502712012 |
| Reference Number | 142786 |
St Benet's Catholic Primary School is a small Catholic primary within the St John the Baptist Catholic Multi-Academy Trust and part of a federation with another local Catholic primary. Safeguarding standards are met, and inspectors found much to praise in the school's early years provision, inclusion and personal development. Pupils are happy, safe and well behaved, benefit from strong pastoral support and a wide range of opportunities, and the school has a positive, inclusive culture where pupils feel they belong. However, the inspection identifies significant weaknesses in achievement. Pupils have not achieved well over time, including disadvantaged pupils, with inconsistent national assessment outcomes in Year 6, Year 4 and the Year 1 phonics screening check. Teaching quality varies, tasks do not always help pupils build on prior learning, and teachers do not consistently check that pupils have secured the intended knowledge. As a result, pupils develop gaps and misconceptions in core subjects, especially reading, writing and mathematics. Attendance has been low over time and remains below national averages, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, although it has improved this school year. New leadership and trust support are making positive changes, but their impact is still early, and leaders acknowledge more work is needed. The next steps focus on making teaching more effective, improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and sharpening the precision of inclusion support.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 69 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 57.97%
Girls: 42.03% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 34.8% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 11.6% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 23 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 23.5 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| 5 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 6 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 78.3% |
| Indian | 7.2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 4.3% |
| White & Asian | 2.9% |
| White, Other | 1.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.4% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Needs attention |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Needs attention |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Needs attention |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 09 Jun 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 09 Jun 2026 | School inspection |
| 05 Jul 2022 | School inspection |
| 10 Jul 2018 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Safeguarding standards are met and there is an open culture of safeguarding.
- The early years curriculum is well designed and delivered, helping children become ready for Year 1.
- Inclusion is a strength, with vulnerable pupils and those with SEND generally getting the help they need to engage and belong.
- Pupils behave well, show respect, and bullying or harassment is not tolerated.
- The personal development programme is coherent and supported by high-quality pastoral care.
- Pupils enjoy school and embody the school's values, including faith, compassion and resilience.
- A wide range of clubs, trips, charity work and pupil voice opportunities builds character and responsibility.
- New leadership has improved attendance and created a very positive culture and behaviour.
- The trust provides appropriate oversight, support and challenge, especially in safeguarding and attendance.
- Staff wellbeing is supported, and staff report high satisfaction with working at the school.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils have not achieved well over time, including disadvantaged pupils.
- National assessment outcomes are inconsistent in Year 6, Year 4 and the Year 1 phonics screening check.
- Teaching quality varies, and tasks do not consistently help pupils build on prior learning.
- Teachers do not always check carefully enough that pupils have secured the intended learning.
- Pupils develop gaps and misconceptions in key knowledge, including reading, writing and mathematics.
- Disadvantaged pupils' achievement is well below national averages across core subjects.
- Attendance has been low over time and remains below national averages, especially for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
- Support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is not always precisely matched to their needs.
- The trust and leaders have not been effective enough over time at addressing inconsistencies.
- Some pupils join late in key stage 2, leaving little time to help them achieve well.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 38% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 8% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 106 | ||
| Maths | 103 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 0.7 | ||
| Writing | -1.2 | ||
| Maths | -2.4 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 3 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 2 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
The Albert Pye Community Primary School
Frederick's Road, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 9UL |
0.34 miles |
|
Ravensmere Infant School
Fredericks Road, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 9UL |
0.35 miles |
|
Beccles Primary Academy
Ellough Road, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7AB |
0.91 miles |
|
Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy
The Boundaries, Geldeston Road, Gillingham, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 0HT |
1.43 miles |
|
Worlingham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Garden Lane, Worlingham, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7SB |
1.54 miles |
|
Ringsfield Church of England Primary School
School Road, Ringsfield, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 8NZ |
1.95 miles |
|
Barnby and North Cove Community Primary School
The Street, Barnby, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7QB |
3.33 miles |
|
Glebeland Community Primary School
Beccles Road, Toft Monks, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 0EW |
3.57 miles |
|
Ellingham VC Primary School
Church Road, Ellingham, Ellingham Vc Primary School, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 2PZ |
3.65 miles |
|
Ditchingham Church of England Primary Academy
Rider Haggard Way, Ditchingham, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 2RE |
4.75 miles |
|
Ilketshall St Lawrence School
Hogg Lane, Ilketshall St Lawrence, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 8ND |
4.88 miles |
|
Bungay Primary School
Wingfield Street, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 1HA |
4.92 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Sir John Leman High School
Ringsfield Road, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 9PG |
0.26 miles |
|
Beccles High School
Castle Hill, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7BQ |
0.66 miles |
|
Turnstone House School
Birtwick Park, Old Bungay Road, Kirby Cane, BUNGAY, Suffolk, NR35 2HP |
3.81 miles |
|
Castle EAST School
Hillside Road East, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 1JS |
4.41 miles |
|
Bungay High School
Queen's Road, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 1RW |
4.9 miles |