Bere Regis Primary and Preschool

Bere Regis Primary and Pre-school has improved since its previous inspection and now provides a good standard of education across its main areas of provision. Pupils are kind, polite and proud of their school, behave well, and benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. Children get off to a strong start in the pre-school and Reception Year, reading is taught effectively, support for pupils with SEND has been strengthened, and personal development is a clear strength. Safeguarding is effective, and leaders and trustees have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and priorities. The school is part of Wessex Multi-Academy Trust and serves children from age two to eleven. Inspectors found much to praise, including pupils’ positive attitudes, effective early language and reading work, and a wide range of opportunities that help pupils understand citizenship and prepare for future life. Most pupils with SEND build their knowledge, skills and independence well, and staff provide sensitive support for attendance and behaviour. There are still areas to improve. In a few subjects, leaders have not yet precisely identified and sequenced the essential knowledge pupils should learn, so pupils do not always build cumulatively on what they know. Teaching is not always matched closely enough to pupils’ starting points, which can limit the depth of understanding they gain, and some pupils are occasionally not motivated by the work they are given.

Strengths

• Pupils are kind, polite and proud to attend the school.
• Pupils behave well and cooperate from the early years onwards.
• Children get off to a strong start in the pre-school and Reception Year.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious in most subjects.
• Reading is taught effectively, with books well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge.
• Early years teaching has a sharp focus on vocabulary and language development.
• Support for pupils with SEND has been strengthened and is working well for most pupils.
• Personal, social and health education is effective, including well-being and online safety.
• Pupils have strong opportunities to learn about citizenship, community and sustainability.
• Pupils are prepared well for future life through learning about democracy, faiths and careers.
• Leaders and trustees have an accurate view of the school and have secured improvements.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, essential knowledge is not yet precisely identified and sequenced.
• Pupils sometimes do not build cumulatively on prior knowledge in those subjects.
• Teaching is occasionally not matched well enough to pupils’ starting points.
• Some pupils are not always motivated by the work they are given.
• Occasionally, pupils’ work does not deepen their understanding as well as it could.

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 Bere Regis Primary and Preschool attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.1% 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, 4.8% of pupils at Bere Regis Primary and Preschool 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 Bere Regis Primary and Preschool had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 42.9% 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, 21.8% of pupils at Bere Regis Primary and Preschool were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Bere Regis Primary and Preschool received £8,526 and spent £8,257 for each of its 119 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £95,000 (£801 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Wessex Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,381 and spending £7,135 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 Wareham · Dorset local authority: places and applications

Bere Regis Primary and Preschool is part of Wessex Multi Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Milborne St Andrew First School Blandford Forum
• Puddletown Church of England First School Dorchester
• St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown Dorchester
• Frome Valley CofE First School Dorchester
• The Purbeck School Wareham
• Piddle Valley Church of England First School Dorchester
• Manor Park Church of England First School Dorchester
• St Osmund's Church of England Middle School Dorchester
• Dorchester Middle School Dorchester
• The Thomas Hardye School Dorchester

What is Bere Regis Primary and Preschool's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bere Regis Primary and Preschool is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Bere Regis Primary and Preschool last inspected by Ofsted?

Bere Regis Primary and Preschool was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Bere Regis Primary and Preschool have?

Bere Regis Primary and Preschool has 119 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bere Regis Primary and Preschool cover?

Bere Regis Primary and Preschool for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Bere Regis Primary and Preschool's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bere Regis Primary and Preschool?

Bere Regis Primary and Preschool is at Southbrook, Bere Regis, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 7DB.