St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School
98%
Capacity
107
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School
St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School stands out sharply against the Hampshire local authority average for Key Stage 2 outcomes. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 61%, St Mary's achieves 82% — a full 21 percentage points higher. This places the school 6th out of 31 primary schools in East Hampshire and inside the top 10% nationally. The school is also oversubscribed, with 30 applications for 14 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and 12 of those offers went to first-preference families. That level of demand suggests local parents see the same strong results that the data shows. With just 107 pupils against a capacity of 109, it is a small, close-knit school where the headteacher, Joanna Ayres, leads a team that has clearly built a reputation for academic strength well above the county norm.
The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 awarded top marks in several areas. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were all rated Outstanding, while the quality of education and leadership and management were judged Good. The previous inspection in 2011 had also rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management and early years provision both Outstanding at that time. At Key Stage 2, the school's reading and maths average scores of 108 and 106 respectively are comfortably above the national average of 100. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading is 41%, in maths 35%, and in writing 24%. In reading, writing and maths combined, 18% of pupils reached the higher standard. The school ranks 19th out of 425 primary schools in Hampshire, placing it in the top 5% of the county.
Facilities include an ICT suite, sports hall, music rooms, gymnasium and a chapel, and the school offers a broad range of sports including gymnastics, athletics, football, rounders, tennis, cricket and netball. Clubs on offer include science, chess, coding, gardening and film club. The school has identified SEND provisions for social, emotional and mental health needs, and for speech, language and communication. Parent View responses, collected between September 2024 and September 2025, show very high satisfaction: 94% of the 71 respondents would recommend the school, and 85% strongly agreed that their child is happy there. With 16.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a mixed catchment. This is a small, high-performing village primary that suits families who value strong academic outcomes within a Church of England ethos and who are prepared to compete for a place.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Church Street, Alton, East Hampshire, GU34 5RE |
| Headteacher | Joanna Ayres |
| Local Authority | Hampshire |
| Number of Pupils | 107 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 16.8% |
| School Capacity | 107 / 109 (98% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 Mar 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 30 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (82%)
1215th of 13,686
Nationally
157th of 2,034
In South East
6th of 31
In East Hampshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
82%
Expected Standard
18%
Higher Standard
'22/23
64%
'23/24
82%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
Ofsted Parent View
71 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed14
30
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
12 families put this school as their 1st choice (40% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British92.5%
- Mixed4.7%
- Asian0.9%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
1
Total schools
1
Oversubscribed
1
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Church Street, Alton
East Hampshire, GU34 5RE
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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