School Chooser

St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England107 pupilsAltonHampshire
School Chooser Score
83
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 94, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 79% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, March 2025
Reached the expected level at 1179%England 63%
Attendance96.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families10%Far fewer than most schools
Places2 spare107 pupils, 109 places
Pupils per teacher20.6School workforce census

St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Alton for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 107 pupils and room for 109. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 83 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 79% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Church Street, Bentworth, Alton, GU34 5RE01420 562117bentworth.hants.sch.ukMrs Joanna Ayres headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 4 March 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
17 September 2019UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

14 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 1179%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 55%55%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 85%85%20192023: 64%64%20232024: 82%82%20242025: 79%79%2025
Since 2017: +24%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HampshireEngland
Pupils tested141714131811
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths79%82%64%85%67%55%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%18%0%8%6%18%9%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0108.0103.0108.0106.0103.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0106.0103.0106.0102.0103.0104.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0107.0104.0110.0105.0103.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard79%94%64%100%83%64%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%94%64%85%67%64%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)86%94%64%100%100%64%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.3+2.6-0.1-1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.5+0.4-4.2-0.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged88%

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 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
67%88%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
67%88%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%7%
Gap 7 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.

Full108 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
103% full

The school is full, with 3 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

How places were given out for September 2026.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary154115LA
2025 Primary153014all offeredLA
2024 Primary152815LA
2023 Primary152413all offeredLA
2022 Primary153115all 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 roll107Census January 2026
Places10998% full
Pupils from low-income families10%10% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%10 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan8%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.84 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)9%£15,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls48 / 59
White British pupils92%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (5), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (4), emotional and mental health (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), language and communications needs (2), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll107107108103105104
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals10%17%15%16%11%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%2%3%4%6%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%5%8%12%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans10%7%12%7%8%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school2.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.1%4.0%4.5%3.8%3.0%3.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%3.5%3.6%3.2%2.6%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.4%0.5%0.9%0.6%0.3%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence2.1%9.5%6.6%6.5%3.3%2.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.2full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher20.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,513
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.52024/25

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£9,022England £7,738. Total £965k
Income per pupil£9,059England £7,697. Total £969k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,487England £3,480
Money in reserve8%Not much put by: £74k, £692 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£3,861it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,022spent 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 m812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate29 per 1,000 people69% lower than the England average
Typical house price£425,000East Hampshire
Nearest bus stop190 mThe Star Inn, 2 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
Medstead Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.2 miles176Good 202318Compare
The Butts Primary SchoolCouncil3.0 miles357No overall grade 202543Compare
Chawton Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles101Not inspected10Compare
Saint Lawrence Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles219Report card 202681Compare
Wootey Infant SchoolCouncil3.4 miles102No overall grade 202418Compare
Wootey Junior SchoolCouncil3.4 miles157Good 202251Compare
Anstey Junior SchoolCouncil3.4 miles222Not inspected9Compare
Alton Infant SchoolCouncil3.5 miles156Good 20242Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Mary's Bentworth 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.

Beats79%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 83 is 27 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 56 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 83 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 83% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 94. 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
+0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 14 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.20
Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.07
DfE progress measure; 14 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.10
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.14
2024/25; 94 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 14 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 St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School scores 83 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 79% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 94, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 4 March 2025.

How good are St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 79% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% 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 St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School have?

107 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 109 places, so it is 98% full.

Is St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 3 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 2% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Mary's Bentworth Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 26.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 25% 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
Church Street, Bentworth, Alton, GU34 5RE
Telephone
01420 562117
Website
www.bentworth.hants.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Joanna Ayres
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Winchester
Local authority
Hampshire
Ward
Bentworth & Froyle
Constituency
East Hampshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
116351 · LAESTAB 8503308 · UKPRN 10071543

Where these figures come from