Benson Church of England Primary School

About Benson Church of England Primary School

Benson Church of England Primary School was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2025, with all inspected areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — each receiving a Good judgement. The school’s most informative academic metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which stood at 56% in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure sits below the Oxfordshire local authority average of 61%, placing the school 135th out of 242 primary schools in the county. In the more localised South Oxfordshire district, it ranks 33rd out of 48 schools, putting it in the bottom half of its immediate area. Nationally, the school sits in the 33rd percentile, meaning roughly two-thirds of primary schools achieve a higher combined expected standard. The picture is nuanced: while the combined figure is modest, individual subject scores are more encouraging, with 66% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, maths and writing separately.

Looking deeper at the 2023/24 results, Benson’s average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths, both close to the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading was 28%, and 13% in both maths and writing, though only 9% reached the higher standard across all three subjects. The school’s Ofsted report from 2025 rated all inspected areas as Good, with the early years provision maintaining the same Good rating it held in the previous inspection. Parent feedback is broadly positive: 87% of respondents would recommend the school, and 97% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. However, only 74% felt the school has high expectations for their child, and views on SEND support were notably split, with 69% agreeing and 31% disagreeing that children with special educational needs get the support they need.

Benson is a Church of England primary school for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 82 applications for 45 places, with 42 offers made to first-preference applicants. The school has a range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a library, a sensory room, music rooms, a forest school area and a chapel. Clubs include choir, drama and science club, while sports on offer include dance, athletics, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, cross country and rounders. The school’s SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 13.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a mixed catchment. It will suit families who value a Good-rated village primary with strong pastoral care and a clear Church of England character, but who are aware that its academic outcomes sit slightly below the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Benson Church of England Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents