Bentham Community Primary School

About Bentham Community Primary School

Bentham Community Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary in the North Yorkshire local authority, serving children aged 3 to 11. In the most recent local rankings for primary schools of the same type, it placed 156th out of 292 schools in the authority, placing it in the bottom half of the LA table. For context, the top-performing peers in the same authority include Eppleby Forcett Church of England Primary School, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, and Middleton Tyas Church of England Primary School, all of which achieved the highest possible ranking scores. Bentham’s position reflects a school that is solidly within the local landscape but not among the highest-achieving cohort. With 145 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is operating below its full potential intake, though it was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, receiving 33 applications for 23 places, with 24 of those applications as first preferences.

Academically, the school’s most recent Key Stage 2 results, from the 2023/24 academic year, show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 52%, which is below the North Yorkshire LA average of 60%. However, individual subject performance was stronger: 83% met the expected standard in reading, 78% in writing, and 74% in maths. At the higher standard, 9% achieved the combined measure, with 35% reaching that level in reading and 30% in maths. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 105 in maths. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with Good ratings across all categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This was a consistent outcome compared with its previous Good inspection in 2016.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, playing fields, a sensory room, an outdoor playground, music rooms, a dining hall, and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, netball, football, cricket, athletics, and swimming, while extracurricular clubs include film club, coding, chess, science club, book club, and choir. For children with additional needs, the school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With a nursery provision on site, it caters to families from age three. The school is oversubscribed, with a ratio of 1.43 applicants per place, so early application is advisable. This is a good fit for families seeking a community-focused primary with strong pastoral support and a broad range of activities, particularly those who value a school that is rated Good by Ofsted and offers dedicated SEND support.

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