School Chooser

Benington Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England94 pupilsStevenageHertfordshire
School Chooser Score
44
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 19 to 73, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 21% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1182%England 63%
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families5%Far fewer than most schools
Places18 spare94 pupils, 112 places
Pupils per teacher20.3School workforce census

Benington Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Stevenage for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 94 pupils and room for 112. About 5 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 44 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Walkern Road, Benington, Benington Primary School, Stevenage, SG2 7LP01438 869254benington.herts.sch.ukMrs Anja Tyler headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 11 June 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

17 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1182%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 85%85%20172018: 94%94%20182019: 100%100%20192023: 90%90%20232024: 18%18%20242025: 82%82%2025
Since 2017: -3%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HertfordshireEngland
Pupils tested17111071613
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths82%18%90%100%94%85%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%0%20%0%6%15%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0100.0104.0113.0108.0108.0106.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0103.0107.0109.0107.0108.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0109.0113.0109.0111.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%36%90%100%94%85%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard88%64%100%100%94%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)88%82%100%100%100%85%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.1+5.0+0.1+1.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.7+1.0-0.6+2.5

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
100%73%
Gap 27 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places98 pupils for 112 places, 2024/25
88% full

About 14 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 10% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (13 offers for 16 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary162813all offeredLA
2025 Primary1645162.5 milesLA
2024 Primary163213all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll94Census January 2026
Places11284% full
Pupils from low-income families5%5% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%20 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.03 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils33%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)7%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls48 / 46
White British pupils88%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (7), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), emotional and mental health (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), language and communications needs (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll9410097918489
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals5%6%8%6%6%6%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%1%2%4%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%18%15%10%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.5%6.5%6.7%6.7%6.0%3.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%4.6%4.9%5.5%5.4%2.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.9%1.9%1.2%0.6%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.0%18.2%27.4%22.8%23.1%4.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.02.20.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers4.6full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher20.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,698
Teachers who left in the year29%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.22023/24

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,335England £7,738. Total £734k
Income per pupil£7,571England £7,697. Total £757k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,552England £3,480
Money in reserve16%A healthy amount put by: £124k, £1,243 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£24kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,335spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1612 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate48 per 1,000 people47% lower than the England average
Typical house price£450,000East Hertfordshire
Nearest bus stop220 mChurch Green, 6 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Walkern Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles154Good 202096Compare
Aston St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England1.7 miles129No overall grade 202595Compare
Ardeley St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England2.1 miles46Good 20222Compare
Ashtree Primary AcademyAcademy2.2 miles209Requires improvement 20210Compare
Featherstone Wood Primary SchoolCouncil2.3 miles222Good 202231Compare
Camps Hill Primary SchoolAcademy2.5 miles462Good 202419Compare
Little Munden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England2.5 miles78Good 202378Compare
Lodge Farm Primary SchoolFoundation2.5 miles386No overall grade 20257Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Benington Church of England Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats21%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 44 is 32 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 76 · highest 93100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Benington Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England13.7 miles98Not inspected83Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 44 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 44% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 19 to 73. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.03
2025 and 2024 results; 17 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.13
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 17 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 92 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 17 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Benington Church of England Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Benington Church of England Primary School scores 44 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 19 to 73, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Benington Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Benington Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 11 June 2024.

How good are Benington Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 82% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Benington Church of England Primary School have?

94 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 112 places, so it is 84% full.

Is Benington Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 14 places were empty in 2024/25 (13% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Benington Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Benington Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 26.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 33% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Walkern Road, Benington, Benington Primary School, Stevenage, SG2 7LP
Telephone
01438 869254
Website
www.benington.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Anja Tyler
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of St Albans
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Ward
Aston, Datchworth & Walkern
Constituency
North East Hertfordshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
117389 · LAESTAB 9193009 · UKPRN 10070382

Where these figures come from