Benson Church of England Primary School, Wallingford

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.4km)Possible (~1.9km)Unlikely (~2.5km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Amy Pearce
Pupils:329 / 315 capacity
LA:Oxfordshire
Phone:01491202502
Address:Oxford Road, Benson, Wallingford, OX10 6LX
Trust:OXFORD DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 October 2019

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 15 July 2025View full report
URN:147507
UKPRN:10084498
Diocese:Diocese of Oxford
Constituency:Henley and Thame
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Benson is a caring school where your child will feel safe and happy. Reading is a real strength - children develop confident, fluent reading skills from an early age. The school teaches important life skills like resilience and kindness alongside a broad curriculum that makes meaningful connections to real-life experiences.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils read well with confident, fluent reading skills developed through consistent phonics teaching from Nursery onwards
  • High expectations and a well-sequenced curriculum that builds knowledge and skills from early years through the school
  • Strong personal development focus teaching resilience, independence and the school values of love, forgiveness, peace and understanding
  • Effective support for pupils with SEND with appropriate targets and adaptations helping them make good progress
  • Calm, respectful environment where pupils behave well and feel proud of their school

Areas for Improvement

  • Some pupils lose focus during lessons and teachers do not always have high enough expectations of engagement, meaning these pupils miss valuable learning opportunities
  • Assessment in some foundation subjects is not effective enough to help teachers identify what pupils need to learn next
  • Some pupils do not retain key knowledge as well as they could in certain subjects

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong culture prioritising pupils' interests and well-being.

Extracurricular Activities

rock music lessons, residential trips, reading ambassadors, ambassador roles

Benson Church of England Primary School is a happy and safe school where pupils interact positively with caring staff and make good progress in their learning. The school has developed a broad, ambitious curriculum with a strong focus on reading and personal development.

At a Glance

16.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

82 responses
Would recommend87%
Child is happy98%
Well taught92%
Good progress73%
Feels safe98%
Well behaved88%
Bullying dealt with11%
Kept informed88%
Handles concerns61%
Wider development83%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-11ppMaths-21ppWriting-21pp

Reading has declined from 66% to 55%. Maths has declined from 66% to 45%. Writing has declined from 66% to 45%.

Class Sizes

28.5

Avg class size

27.0

Infant (KS1)

30.3

KS2

8

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Horseshoes Lane (adj)
41m · 1 min walk
Church Road (SW-bound)
234m · 4 min walk
Marina (opp)
251m · 4 min walk
High Street (E-bound)
370m · 6 min walk
St Helens Crescent (opp)
596m · 10 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

104%

Over capacity

329 pupils

315 capacity

14 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Wallingford

Medium pressure
New homes approved:865
Projected new pupils:216

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Wallingford

Admissions Demand - Oxfordshire

Low demand0.80x oversubscription

Places available

8,555

Applications

6,831

Got 1st preference

94.0%

Got preferred school

99.1%

Primary admissions across Oxfordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

15 July 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
13 March 2024
26 February 2015
Good
Leadership & ManagementGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.29429%

Overall absence

13.6%

Persistent absence

250

Enrolments

Authorised4.2867%
Unauthorised1.00759%
Persistent (10%+)13.6%
Severe (50%+)1.2%

Absence trend

2.41248%
20/21
5.92902%
21/22
4.28673%
22/23
4.80061%
23/24
5.29429%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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