Beedon C.E. (Controlled) Primary School

About Beedon C.E. (Controlled) Primary School

Beedon C.E. (Controlled) Primary School is a small Church of England primary in West Berkshire, a local authority where just three out of 67 primary schools hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school itself ranks 55th out of 57 primaries in the LA on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it in the bottom half locally. Its top-performing peers in the area include The Ilsleys Primary School, Robert Sandilands Primary School and Nursery, and Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet School, all of which score significantly higher on the same ranking metric. With only 23 pupils on roll against a capacity of 63, Beedon is one of the smallest schools in the authority. It serves a notably disadvantaged intake: 43.5 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school is led by headteacher Melissa Cliffe and has a mixed-gender, non-selective intake from ages 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Academically, Beedon’s most recent key stage 2 results from 2023/24 show a mixed picture. Just 30 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a West Berkshire LA average of 57 per cent. In reading, 60 per cent met the expected standard, with an average scaled score of 104. Maths saw the same proportion at expected, with an average score of 100. Writing was weaker, with only 40 per cent reaching the expected level. No pupils achieved the higher standard in any of the three subjects. The school’s most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2011, rated overall effectiveness as Good, with leadership and management also Good. An ungraded inspection in December 2021 confirmed the school remains Good, though early years provision was judged as Requires improvement. Progress scores are not available for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to compare pupil progress against national benchmarks.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, library, music rooms, ICT suite, art studios and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, cricket, swimming, cross country and athletics, while clubs extend to coding, book club, choir and science club. SEND provision covers speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: it received three applications for two places, with both first-preference applicants offered a place, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.5. This suggests a small but committed local demand. Beedon will suit families who value a very small, rural Church of England primary with strong facilities relative to its roll, and who are comfortable with academic outcomes that sit below the LA average. Parents should be aware that early years provision requires improvement and that the school’s ranking is among the lowest in West Berkshire.

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