Bretforton Village School

Bretforton Village School is a small, close-knit village school within New Education Trust. Inspectors found it performing at the expected standard in most areas, with a positive and nurturing culture. Pupils are happy and safe, attendance is generally above national averages, and behaviour is very good. Early years provision is strong, reading and phonics are prioritised, and inclusion is effective for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and vulnerable groups. Leadership and governance are secure, with committed trust and governor oversight, and personal development is coherent with strong community links. Safeguarding standards are met. However, achievement and curriculum/teaching require attention. Pupils' handwriting and spelling are not secure enough by the time they leave, and progress is inconsistent across some subjects and year groups. In some wider curriculum subjects, teaching is not deep or precise enough, leaving gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders recognise these issues and have plans in place, but the next steps are to ensure consistent curriculum delivery in all subjects and a consistent approach to handwriting and spelling. The inspection was a full section 5 inspection. The school is much smaller than average, with 71 pupils, and serves a relatively affluent area with below-average proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and SEND. The school does not have a resourced SEND provision.

Strengths

• Pupils attend well, with attendance generally above national averages for most groups.
• Pupils behave very well and have positive attitudes to learning in a respectful, cooperative environment.
• Early years provision is ambitious, nurturing and well sequenced, giving children a strong start.
• Reading and phonics are prioritised, with systematic teaching that helps pupils catch up quickly.
• The school has an inclusive culture where vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, are well supported.
• Pupils with SEND progress well from their starting points due to close tracking and expert interventions.
• Leaders are committed, have an accurate view of priorities, and are well supported by trust governance.
• Personal development is coherent and enriched by community activities, visits and pupil leadership roles.
• Pupils feel safe and happy, and bullying is rare and quickly resolved.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture.
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' handwriting and spelling are not secure enough by the time they leave the school.
• Achievement is inconsistent across some curriculum areas and year groups.
• Some wider curriculum subjects are not taught deeply or precisely enough, leaving gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Curriculum implementation is not consistently strong in all subjects.
• Some older pupils have not secured the basic writing skills needed to be fluent and confident writers.
• Pupils do not achieve as well as they could by the time they leave Bretforton.
• Leaders need to ensure consistent curriculum delivery and a consistent approach to handwriting and spelling.

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 Bretforton Village School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Bretforton Village 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 Bretforton Village School had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.8% 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, 15.9% of pupils at Bretforton Village School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 Bretforton Village School received £7,196 and spent £6,782 for each of its 72 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £59,000 (£819 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of New Education Trust, income was £6,838 and spending £6,354 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 Evesham · Worcestershire local authority: places and applications

Bretforton Village School is part of New Education Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Bengeworth CE Academy Evesham
• Church Lench CofE First School Evesham

What is Bretforton Village School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bretforton Village School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Bretforton Village School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bretforton Village School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Bretforton Village School have?

Bretforton Village School has 63 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bretforton Village School cover?

Bretforton Village School for pupils aged 5 to 10.

Where is Bretforton Village School?

Bretforton Village School is at New Street, Bretforton, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 7JS.