Beechfield School

Beechfield School is a larger-than-average primary in the Inclusive Multi Academy Trust, serving a diverse and changing community in an area of well-above-average deprivation. Inspectors found a welcoming, inclusive school where pupils achieve well overall. Achievement and inclusion are particular strengths: pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, pupils with EAL and those joining at different times, develop secure knowledge and achieve strong outcomes, especially in reading, mathematics and phonics. Pastoral support, SEND provision and family partnerships are effective, and pupils feel safe, valued and ready to learn. The school's broader curriculum, early years, behaviour, leadership and personal development are all secure, with pupils typically behaving well and benefiting from a wide range of enrichment. Attendance is improving and persistent absence is close to average, though overall absence remains above national. Leaders know the school's strengths and priorities, and staff value professional development and wellbeing support. The main areas for further work are precision and evaluation. In early years, activities are not always matched closely enough to children's needs, especially in early writing. In some foundation subjects, leaders have less detailed information about what pupils know and remember over time, and systems for evaluating the impact of the curriculum, attendance and personal development are not consistently precise or timely. Leaders and governors should use the information they collect more sharply to secure consistently high standards.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve strong outcomes, particularly in reading, mathematics and phonics.
• Disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND, pupils with EAL and late joiners progress well from their starting points.
• The school has a strong culture of inclusion, with staff knowing pupils and families extremely well.
• SEND is identified accurately and well-planned support helps pupils access the full curriculum alongside peers.
• Pupils with SEND participate fully in lessons, clubs, visits and wider school life.
• Pupil premium funding is used thoughtfully to improve attendance, engagement and achievement.
• Pastoral support is consistent and effective, helping pupils feel safe, valued and ready to learn.
• Pupils behave well, follow routines confidently and show resilience, pride, responsibility and independence.
• Bullying is rare and pupils trust staff to address concerns effectively.
• Older pupils take on responsibilities such as prefects, peer mediators and junior librarians.
• The early years curriculum prioritises communication, language, early reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders provide high-quality professional development and give strong consideration to staff wellbeing.
• Governance is effective, with governors providing support and challenge and fulfilling statutory duties.
• Personal development is well planned, with enrichment, careers days, residential visits and community activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Early years activities are not always selected and adapted precisely enough to children's needs, particularly in early writing.
• Leaders have less detailed information about what pupils know and remember over time in some foundation subjects.
• Systems for checking how well the curriculum is being learned across all subjects are not equally well developed.
• Leaders and governors should analyse the information they collect more closely to evaluate impact and secure consistently high standards in curriculum and attendance.
• Personal development impact is not always assessed or evaluated with sufficient precision or timeliness.
• Overall absence is above the national average, although persistent absence is close to average and attendance is improving.
• Some pupils need reminders to apply personal development vocabulary consistently in day-to-day situations.

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 Beechfield School attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.7% 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, 2.4% of pupils at Beechfield 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 Beechfield School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 2.0% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Beechfield School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% 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 Beechfield School received £6,585 and spent £6,461 for each of its 443 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £203,000 (£460 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Inclusive Multi Academy Trust, income was £6,681 and spending £6,578 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 Watford · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Beechfield School is part of Inclusive Multi Academy Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Cherry Tree Primary School Watford
• Laurance Haines School Watford
• Willow Tree Primary School Watford

What is Beechfield School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Beechfield School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Beechfield School last inspected by Ofsted?

Beechfield School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Beechfield School have?

Beechfield School has 444 pupils on roll.

What age range does Beechfield School cover?

Beechfield School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Beechfield School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Beechfield School?

Beechfield School is at Gammons Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 5TY.